Kitayama, English and Riley qualify for The 151st Open through Arnold Palmer Invitational
Kurt Kitayama, Harris English and Davis Riley have all qualified for The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool through the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.
Kitayama lifted his first title on the PGA TOUR with a winning total of nine-under-par to secure his place in The Open.
English finished in a tie for second place with Rory McIlroy, who is already exempt, one shot further back on eight-under-par to receive the second qualifying spot.
Riley shot a final round 66 to end the tournament in a tie for eighth place with Trey Mullinax on six-under-par. His higher position in the Official World Golf Ranking ensured he claimed the third and final qualifying place.
Any golfer who has earned a qualifying place who then becomes exempt under one or more categories before the closing date of entries for The Open on 1 June will result in that place being awarded to the next non-exempt golfer, which will determined by a reserve list for each event played before this date.
Kurt Kitayama said: “It’s going to be amazing to play in The Open, which will be my second time I think. It’s always a great feeling to play in the majors.”
Harris English said: “It’s one of my favourite tournaments of the year, nothing beats an Open Championship. This will be my ninth or tenth Open and I’ve played Royal Liverpool before. I missed the cut there – it was a tough course and it got windy. I love the town there and I’m looking forward to getting back.”
Davis Riley said: “The Open is one of those championships you dream of playing as a kid. You watch the greats, like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, the names are endless, so it’s great to finally have this come to fruition. The opportunity will be incredible.
“I’ve played a bit in the UK – the Junior Ryder Cup at Blairgowrie – although the course was parkland so it wasn’t true links. I can’t wait to get my first taste of it at Royal Liverpool. It will be special to play there.”
