Heroic walk-off hole-out earns 389th-ranked pro spot in Open Championship
Angel Hidalgo (center) is congratulated after his incredible hole-out for eagle on Tuesday.
Mark Runnacles/R&A/R&A via Getty Images
When the 2024 Open Championship gets underway at Royal Troon in two weeks’ time, Angel Hidalgo will be in the field. But the way he got there is different than any of the other 150+ golfers who will join him in Scotland, and it involved a huge dose of heroics on his final shot of the qualifier.
Tuesday marked the last day of qualifying for this year’s Open, with hundreds of golfers duking it out across four different final qualifying events. Hidalgo competed at Scotland’s Dundonald Links, where following a 36-hole grind only the top-4 finishers would earn tee times at the Open.
Open Championship Final Qualifying: See who made it to Royal Troon
It was a tall task for the 26-year-old Hidalgo, who hails from Spain and is currently ranked No. 389 in the Official World Golf Ranking. But on the 36th hole, he proved he was more than up for the task.
As he walked onto the tee at Dundonald Links’ par-4 9th hole, his final hole of the qualifier, he sat at three under, and it was clear he would need a birdie to get into a playoff for the fourth and final spot.
He did one better, incredibly holing his second shot with a wedge for an eagle that moved him to five under, helping him avoid the playoff altogether and earning him a trip to Royal Troon to fight for Open glory.
While the shot wasn’t captured on film, Bunkered editor Lewis Fraser caught Hidalgo as he walked onto the green and retrieved his ball from hole, which Fraser shared on X.
Hidalgo’s heroic gives him his first-ever appearance in a major championship. He’s spent much of career on the DP World Tour and the associated Challenge Tour, where he won the 2021 Big Green Egg German Challenge. Hidalgo’s best world ranking to date was 205th. The 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon begins Thursday, July 18.
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