Estonia is far from a golf mecca. The Baltic nation of about 1.37 million people didn’t get its first golf course until 1993, and now has just 10 clubs nationwide, according to the Estonian Golf Association. There are only two Estonian pros listed in the Official World Golf Ranking, neither in the top 2,000, and 14 countrymen ranked in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
That’s what makes Richard Teder’s achievement so remarkable.
On Tuesday evening just outside Liverpool, the 20-year-old Teder, already Estonia’s best player, wrote his country’s greatest golf chapter to date. Ranked 91st in the world, Teder became the first Estonian player to ever qualify for The Open Championship after a dramatic finish at West Lancashire Golf Club, one of four final-qualifying sites.
Teder sealed his historic qualification with just two swings in a 4-for-2 playoff. After crushing a 340-yard drive on the third extra hole, he holed a 90-yard wedge from the fairway for a walk-off eagle. The moment sparked an instant celebration as Teder leaped into his caddie’s arms, who then lifted the lanky, wavy-haired Estonian over his shoulder, knocking off the looper’s hat in the process.
“It means everything,” Teder said. “It means the world to me. I just can’t wait to get back home and celebrate and just get ready for The Open. I don’t think it has kicked in yet. I’m playing in The Open with all the best players in the world, and I like to think I belong there, so it’ll be fun.”
Teder’s path to qualification wasn’t straightforward. He was two shots clear of the playoff after birdieing the par-3 17th hole when he lost his drive on the par-4 18th and got into a rules dispute with an official over where he should take a drop. Though details of the disagreement weren’t entirely clear, Teder mentioned that his playing competitor, Harold Varner III, “also told me it went in the drink.”
Facing potential disaster, Teder holed a lengthy putt for a closing double bogey to finish at 5 under and squeeze into the playoff with Finland’s Oliver Lindell, Ireland’s Ronan Mullarney and England’s Sam Bairstow.
“There’s no point to ever give up, right?” Teder said. “It was never over. Holed that putt on 18 to get into a playoff. And then I’ve never lost in a playoff, never in my life, so I knew I was pretty safe. Yeah, it’s great.”
Teder and Lindell, who birdied the second extra hole, joined three other Open qualifiers from West Lancashire – medalist Lucas Herbert of Australia, China’s Sampson Zheng (who played college golf at Cal), and George Bloor, a 29-year-old Englishman who currently plays on the HotelPlanner Tour.
LIV Players Make Their Mark
Herbert was one of three current LIV Golf players to advance through final qualifying. Lee Westwood and Dean Burmester also qualified as medalists at their respective sites.
The 52-year-old Westwood, whose last major start came at the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews, pushed to 8 under through 11 holes of his afternoon round at Dundonald Links in Scotland before finishing at 7 under, a shot clear of the field. Westwood has five career top-4 finishes in Opens, including a T-4 at Royal Portrush in 2019. He’s currently No. 42 in LIV’s season-long points race with just one top-10 finish in eight events this season.
Scotland’s Daniel Young (-6), Spain’s Angel Hidalgo (-6) and Sweden’s Jesper Sandborg (-5) also advanced from Dundonald. Young and Sandborg will be making their major debuts while Hidalgo qualified for last year’s Open before missing the cut at Royal Troon.
At Royal Cinque Ports in England, LIV’s David Puig led at the halfway point before falling down the leaderboard with a second-round 78. Florida senior Luke Poulter, son of Ian Poulter, backed up with a 76 to miss by three shots. Denmark’s John Axelsen grabbed the last spot behind Burmester, who closed with a 64, DP World Tour player Nathan Kimsey, England’s Curtis Knipes, and amateur Seb Cave, a potential GB&I Walker Cupper who has two years left at Charlotte.
Former Walker Cupper and Charlotte alum John Gough was among those missing by a shot, along with Florida State junior Tyler Weaver and PGA Tour Americas player Maxwell Moldovan, who qualified for his fourth straight U.S. Open last month.
Emotional Moments at Burnham and Berrow
Play wrapped up later at Burnham and Berrow, where 44-year-old South African Justin Walters medaled at 9 under, a shot ahead of PGA Tour winner Harry Hall, the highest-ranked player in final qualifying at No. 73 in the world, and last year’s British Amateur champ Jacob Skov Olesen. Two Englishmen, amateur Frazer Jones and OJ Farrell, also advanced to their first major championship.
For Walters, it’s his first Open since his debut in 2014.
“Very long time ago,” Walters told the R&A’s radio broadcast. “I have a frame of it in my bedroom, and I stared at it all night two nights ago…”
He then got too choked up to continue.
Tears, hole-outs, history. Open final qualifying delivered it all, especially for a 20-year-old Estonian who’ll soon carry his nation’s hopes to Royal Portrush.
Full List of Qualifiers
BURNHAM AND BERROW – Justin Walters, Jacob Skov Olesen, Harry Hall, a-Frazer Jones, OJ Farrell
ROYAL CINQUE PORTS – Dean Burmester, Curtis Knipes, Nathan Kimsey, a-Sebastian Cave, John Axelsen
DUNDONALD LINKS – Lee Westwood, Daniel Young, Angel Hidalgo, Jesper Sandborg, a-Connor Graham
WEST LANCASHIRE – Lucas Herbert, Sampson Zheng, George Bloor, a-Richard Teder, Oliver Lindell
