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Corey Coshan

COREY Coshan is hoping to repay his parents with interest after taking a significant step towards earning a dream ticket to The Open.

The 16-year-old will fly the flag for Dorset in final qualifying for Royal Birkdale after safely negotiating the regional hurdle at Ferndown yesterday.

And the Poole-born youngster, who was crowned Dorset Boys' champion in May, had mum and dad Sue and Glen to thank for stumping up his £120 entry fee.

Coshan, one of 1,728 hopefuls who set out on the long road to Birkdale, fired a two-under-par 69 to claim one of only 13 places up for grabs in a field of 110 at his home course.

He will now join 287 other qualifiers in Lancashire next week where he will be chasing one of 12 precious places in the world's oldest Major later this month.

The Kinson-raised prospect will be bidding to prevail over 36 holes on Monday and Tuesday on one of three qualifying courses - Hillside, Southport & Ainsdale or West Lancashire.

"I was really happy with my round," said Coshan, whose exploits also earned him a slot on BBC South Today last night.

"I played really solidly and made a few birdies. I just kept going and didn't do too much wrong. You want to shoot as low a score as you can but qualifying was the main thing.

"At one stage, I thought I might have to settle for a place in the play-off but 69 came through in the end."

Schooled at St Peter's, Coshan is the godson of former Meyrick Park professional John Waring who sometimes coaches the youngster.

Coshan, whose handicap has climbed from scratch to 1.1 in recent weeks, described his first taste of regional qualifying as the "highlight of my career".

He added: "I've had a few bad weeks so hopefully this has got me back on track. I want to go to final qualifying and try to do as best as I can. It will all be good experience for me.

"Of course I would love to make it to The Open but I know I'll have to play twice as well as I did today to stand any chance."

Coshan, who lists his golfing idol as the injured Tiger Woods, joked: "I would love to make it to Birkdale but it wouldn't be quite the same there without him!"

There was disappointment for Ferndown amateur Andrew Windsor who failed to join Coshan by one stroke, leaving him in an 11-man sudden-death play-off for the final qualifying place.

And although the play-off was reduced to 10 after Hamptworth's David Hutton failed to show, Windsor bowed out at the first extra hole with Spain's Antonio Espinosa winning through following an epic six-hole duel with Hamptworth's Ben Stow.

Qualifiers: 66 Farren Keenan (Sunningdale), 67 Steven Surry (Cumberwell Park), 68 Craig Bell (Cumberwell Park), Matthew Griffiths (Oakdale), 69 Charlie Cossins (Bath), Billy Hemstock (Teignmouth), Paul Curry (Braintree), Roger Tuddenham (Hedge End), Corey Coshan (Ferndown), Nick Day (Henbury), Barry Forster (North Wilts), Martin Sell (Wrag Barn), Antonio Espinosa (Spain).

Other local scores (non-qualifiers): 70 Andrew Windsor (Ferndown), 72 Scott Godfrey (Ferndown), Lee Thompson (Dudsbury), 73 Steve Thorne (Canford Magna), 74 Matt Hector (Ferndown), Tom Leech (Ferndown), 75 Paul Jones (Canford Magna), 77 Darren Loader (Ferndown), James Wythe (Ferndown), Chris Graham (Broadstone), 83 Neil Pike (Ferndown), 85 Luke Benford (Barton-on-Sea), NR James Baldwin Parkstone.

7:00am Wednesday 2nd July 2008

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