Gavin Green targets second Open appearance via European Tour’s Race To Dubai

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Malaysian No 1 Gavin Green has his sights set on a second Major appearance in this year’s Open Championship, which tees off at Royal St George’s on July 16-19.

Green aims to get into the field for the 149^th staging of golf’s oldest Major via the European Tour’s 2020 Race to Dubai (RTD) rankings. One of the exemption categories is for the leading five players and ties (not already exempt) within the top 20 of the RTD following the BMW International Open in Germany in late June.

The long-hitting Malaysian is currently in 12^th place on the RTD following an excellent start to his third season on the European Tour, highlighted by a third place finish in the star-studded Saudi International earlier this month. In four starts so far this year, Green has finished within the top 30 in all.

“I think it’s big making four cuts in a row and finishing top-30 in all of them … it just shows consistency, which gives me more confidence moving forward. I’m getting more comfortable with the golf courses and I’m beginning to score better on the tough courses,” said Green, who is on a short break following the European Tour’s ‘desert swing’.

With the Open on his radar, Green noted that he would have to skip the Malaysian Open which returns after a four-year hiatus this March 5-8 at Kota Permai as a sole-sanctioned Asian Tour event. He resumes his European Tour campaign in next week’s Oman Open (February 27-March 1), followed by the Qatar Masters which clashes directly with the Malaysian Open.

“It will be huge to get into the Open. It’s still a long time to go but I’ve got myself into position now … so it’s a question of maintaining it or pushing up if I can,” he said.

“I think now a few goals have changed moving forward, so I’ll just have to keep playing week by week. I would have loved to play in the Malaysian Open but unfortunately I can’t miss Qatar.”

Green finished joint 61^st in his maiden Major appearance in the Open at Carnoustie two years ago when he got in as the 2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner.