Australian trio qualify for British Open

Thursday, 12 January 2012 01:09 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

MELBOURNE (Reuters): Australia’s Aaron Townsend, Ashley Hall and Nicholas Cullen qualified for the British Open on Wednesday by securing the three places up for grabs at Australasian qualifying on a blustery day at Melbourne’s Kingston Heath golf course.

Townsend’s round of two-under 70 gave him a four-under total of 140 to finish top of qualifying after two rounds following severe winds that forced play to be suspended for two hours. Hall and Cullen were joined in a three-way playoff with local veteran Peter Senior, 52, to decide the two remaining spots after each finished on a total of one-over par. Senior, bidding for his 19th appearance at the British major at Royal Lytham & St Annes, made par at the first extra playoff hole but missed out when both Hall and Cullen made birdies.