Ashton Turner England
The 22-year-old from Alford in Lincolnshire was given a golf club by his parents at the age of three to improve his balance after he was diagnosed with a rare form of cerebral palsy called ataxia. His extraordinary story, in which he had to wear a crash helmet in his early years at school before recovering from the condition at the age of six, saw him qualify for this year’s Open after pursuing a career in golf.
Day one tee-time 11.15am with Gavin Green (Mal), Sean Crocker (US).
Jovan Rebula South Africa
Rebula, who turns 21 on the final day of the Open, won the British Amateur Championship at Royal Aberdeen a few weeks ago to qualify for Carnoustie. Rebula is the nephew of the twice Open champion Ernie Els, and received a slew of texts from his uncle while in Aberdeen. “We have a very tight relationship,” Rebula said. “He’s always motivating me. He just said: ‘You’ve got this opportunity only once and it will open doors for you.’ He’s awesome.”
Day one tee-time 12.42pm with Russell Henley (US), Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng).
Ryan Fox New Zealand
Speaking of famous relatives, the 31-year-old Fox is the son of the Rugby World Cup winner and current All Black selector, Grant. Fox, who is in fine form, was barely five months old when his father kicked 17 points in the inaugural RWC final in Auckland. “I have to say it’s a lot nicer being a golfer than it was being a rugby player,” he told the Guardian. “I used to hear ‘Let’s smash Fox’s kid’ a lot, and that wasn’t overly fun.”
Day one tee-time 3.32pm with Jason Dufner (US), Keegan Bradley (US).
Marcus Armitage England
Armitage took one of three qualifying spots at St Annes after trying for years to make the Open. Ranked 491 in the world at the time of qualifying, Armitage paid tribute to his coach, Anthony Sheehy, whose mother’s funeral he missed to be at St Annes. “I’m a bit overwhelmed,” he said. “This is for him and her.” He was photographed this year at the Dubai Desert Classic asking Tiger Woods for an autograph on the driving range.
Day one tee-time 11.04am with Kodai Ichihara (Jpn), Rhys Enoch (Wal).
Haraldur Magnus Iceland
The 27-year-old is the first man from Iceland to play in a major tournament. The world No 1,089 was once coached by Gylfi Sigurdsson’s brother, and his actor father, Kristian, is a well-known TV villain back home. Magnus, who only took up golf at the age of 15, has described himself as a “loner”, uncomfortable with attention, which might be tricky over the next four days.
Day one tee-time 10.53am with James Robinson (Eng), Zander Lombard (SA).
