Southport’s Matthew Baldwin is aware that qualifying for this year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush is an opportunity to turn around his career, but he is making a conscious effort just to enjoy the week and take what comes his way.
The 33-year-old from Southport started the season in blistering form winning the MENA Tour Qualifying School B Stage and Journey to Jordan-1, the opening event of the schedule, and leads the Order of Merit at the halfway stage.
However, things haven’t been great after that on the Challenge Tour, where he is trying to get back his card on the European Tour. In seven starts, he has missed three cuts and has just one top-15 finish (Challenge de Espana).
It was at the Final Qualifying of The Open that Baldwin showed he had not lost his touch when he finished third at St Annes Old Links after superb rounds of seven-under par 65 followed by a 70.
Speaking on the eve of the 148th Open, Baldwin said: “I am here to enjoy my week. I know I have a job to turn my season around.
“It’s my fifth major. It’s great to qualify, but this is the reason we play golf – end of the day we all want to be playing the biggest tournaments in the world and for me, and for every other British lad, this is the biggest tournament in the world.
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