Where next for David Carey? For a player operating on the Alps Tour — effectively the third tier of golf in Europe — that exposure gained from playing as a qualifier in the 150th Open can potentially earn some late-season sponsors’ invitations.

Could he possibly get one to the Hero Open on the DP World Tour at Fairmont St Andrews, where he won the final qualifying? He would be a good fit, that’s for sure.

More likely, however, is that the Dubliner will earn an invite place in the field for the Irish Challenge at The K Club — also on July 28th-31st — on the Challenge Tour. “I’ll have a break this week. The Irish Challenge? There’s a good chance I’ll stay home for that,” said Carey, who moved from 912th in the world rankings up to 797th on the back of his Open performance where he earned a pay-day of €33,000.

And he got a strong endorsement from Lee Westwood — who played alongside him in the third and fourth rounds — in terms of progressing his professional career.

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“He’s got a lot of game. He hits the ball very well. He’s a little bit hard on himself, I would say, but aren’t we all. But you can see he’s got a lot of talent and he’s not short. Everything is there. I would say he’s just got to sharpen everything up and work on the mental side a little bit and learn to shake off bad shots,” said Westwood.

By the Numbers

120 v 129

Cameron Smith had 120 putts through the four rounds of the Open championship.

Rory McIlroy took 129, which ranked him 55th in putting statistics.

Leona’s lost clubs

Leona Maguire should be having some good vibes in returning to the scene of her career low round — a 61 — for this week’s Amundi Evian Championship in France, the fourth of five Majors on the women’s calendar.

However, the Co Cavan golfer became the latest casualty in the ever-increasing tales of woe experienced by golfers travelling by air. Maguire put out an SOS to the Dublin Airport Authority and to her airline after travelling from Dublin to Geneva on Sunday only to discover that her clubs hadn’t made the flight and couldn’t be located.

Unlike the men’s DP World and PGA Tour where manufacturer vans are on site each week, the same does not apply on the women’s circuits so a replacement set wasn’t a possibility. Thankfully, Maguire’s bag and clubs were located and sent onwards to be reunited with the world number 19.

Having missed the cut in the Great Lakes two-player event in Michigan last week, Maguire — who remains 14th on the LPGA Tour order of merit — has returned his side of the Atlantic for a stretch that takes in four events, including two Majors. She is playing in the Evian, next week’s Trust Scottish Open, the following week’s AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield and finishing off the hectic European run by playing in the ISPS Handa World Invitational at Galgorm Castle.

Stephanie Meadow, who is also enjoying a strong season, and currently 64th on the CME Globe standings, is on a similar playing schedule in the coming weeks.

Word of Mouth

On this day ... ... July 19th, 1981

On the Open’s return to Royal St George’s in Sandwich, for the first time in 32 years after a new road links made the Sandwich venue more accessible, American Bill Rogers lay claim to his one and only Major title where he finished four strokes clear of runner-up Bernhard Langer.

The American, however, very nearly didn’t make his tee time on the first day of the championship only to be spotted by English journalist John Whitbread on the putting green shortly before his scheduled tee time.

Whitbread took it on himself to approach Rogers — who had finished runner-up in the previous month’s US Open — and advised him of his pending need to be on the first tee. “I got the times wrong. I ran off the (putting) green and made it on the time in time. There’s no doubt that if John hadn’t told me, I’d have been DQ’d. Instead I won.”

Rogers, who had spent a good deal of his youth on military camps where his father served in the US Army, including in Morocco and Germany, claimed the biggest win of his career with rounds of 72-66-67-71 for a total of 276, four ahead of Langer and seven clear of third placed Ray Floyd.

Twitter Twaddle

Back nine on Sundays in majors .. That’s when it starts…..Well Cam Smith played some of the most amazing stuff I’ve ever seen on the back nine. Brilliant golf and very well deserving to be named Champion golfer of the year. Thank you St Andrews for a stunning week — Thomas Bjorn, who knows a thing or two about back nines of a Sunday.

3 day vacation to Italy is officially here. I don’t do vacations. I’ll be bored in about 12 hours. Already did an air golf swing in the airport. Felt good too. There will be plenty more, I imagine — Max Homa struggling to get into holiday mood.

I know a bottle of Jameson fits perfectly!! Enjoy the celebrations Cam — Shane Lowry would know.

Know the Rules

Q

In stroke play, a player’s ball is in an area of ground under repair (GUR) from which she takes free relief. As she plays her next stroke, her stance remains in the area of GUR from which she had taken relief. What is the ruling?

A

In this situation, the player gets a two stroke penalty under Rule 14.7

In the Bag

Cameron Smith — 150th Open Championship

Driver — Titleist TSR2 (10 degrees)

3-wood — Titleist TSi2 (15 degrees)

Irons — Mizuno Pro Hi-Fli (3-4), Titleist T100 Black (5-9)

Wedges — Titleist Vokey Design SM9 Jet Black (46, 52 and 56 degrees), Titleist Wedgeworks Proto Jet Black (60 degrees)

Putter — Scotty Cameron 009M Prototype

Ball — Titleist Pro V1