After a closing 64 at The Greenbrier gave him his first top-5 finish in nearly 18 months, Brandt Snedeker was among four players to qualify for Carnoustie at the latest stop in the Open Qualifying Series.
Snedeker moved up 18 spots during the final round on The Old White TPC, finishing in a tie for third behind winner Kevin Na. Joining Snedeker in two weeks in Scotland will be runner-up Kelly Kraft, Jason Kokrak (T-3) and Austin Cook (T-5).
Snedeker missed The Open last year because of injury, and his world ranking had fallen to No. 95 heading into this week. But he’s now set to make his ninth Open appearance, having topped out with a T-3 finish at Royal Lytham in 2012.
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“I’m very excited. It’s the one venue I’ve not seen yet,” Snedeker told reporters. “I love tough tests. I love Oakmont, and I love these hard tests in front of you. So looking forward to the challenge of what Carnoustie can bring, and hopefully it will bring out the best in me.”
Kraft finished second on Tour for the second time in his career, and he’ll make his first career Open appearance as a result. So too will Kokrak, who closed with a 67 for his fourth top-10 finish of the season.
Cook was the fourth and final qualifier after winning the tiebreaker as the highest-ranked player among the group that finished in a tie for fifth at 12 under. He’ll make his Open debut, while the players who barely missed out via tiebreaker included Harold Varner III, who shot a 2-over 72 after sharing the 54-hole lead, and Sam Saunders, who bogeyed Nos. 16 and 17 after he appeared in line for one of the four bids available.
Next week will mark the final legs of the Open Qualifying Series, with three spots available at the Scottish Open and one spot up for grabs to the top player not otherwise qualified among the top five finishes at the John Deere Classic.