Michael Hendry

Granted a medical exemption to Royal Troon after a diagnosis of leukaemia last April prevented him playing at Royal Liverpool.

Hendry was out of action for seven months, but in only his fifth event back had a fourth place finish on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

He had earned a place in the 2023 field with a runner-up finish to Taichi Kho at the World City Championship in Hong Kong, where four spots were up for grabs as part of The Open Qualifying Series.

Last played in the Championship in 2018 and had fallen to outside the world’s top 750 from a high of 110th when he won the 2023 Vic Open by four strokes on his home circuit.

The New Zealander's Open debut came at the age of 37 in 2017 thanks to a second place finish at the Japan Tour’s Gate Way to The Open Mizuno Open.

That came two months after he won the ISPS Handa New Zealand Open at the first hole of a play-off with Ben Campbell and Brad Kennedy. He was the first home winner of the title in 14 years.

It came after he gave up a promising cricket career which had seen him represent New Zealand at the Under-19 Cricket World Cup. He has since represented his country at the golf World Cup in 2011 and 2013 and won in Japan at the 2015 Token Homemate Cup.