Scott Vincent

Three times a winner on the Japan Tour in the past year, the third of them at May’s Mizuno Open earning him his Open debut at St Andrews.

It came after the 30-year-old from Harare, now based in his wife’s home town Denver, started the final round a massive seven strokes behind Australian Anthony Quayle. However, he caught him with a seven under par 65 and won the play-off at the second extra hole.

Vincent, who twice represented Zimbabwe in the Eisenhower Trophy World Amateur Team Championship and then again at last year’s Olympic Games, turned professional in 2015 after attending Virginia Tech and then recorded five runner-up finishes on the Asian Tour between 2016 and 2019.

His breakthrough in Japan was at August’s Sansan KBC August, where he edged out Ryo Ishikawa by a single shot, and four weeks later he added the ANA Open by three from Tomoharu Otsuki.

“I’m really excited about playing my first major, especially at St Andrews, the Home of Golf,” he said. “It was a goal of mine starting the year to try to get into one of the majors.” In June added the Asian Tour’s event at Slaley Hall in Northumberland.