'It's just been the best day ever' - what winning and securing Open spot means to golfer

Naidoo secured his spot in the County Antrim event in July by winning the weather-hit Investec South African Open Championship at Durban Country Club in a sudden-death play-off.

Englishman Laurie Canter, who lost out in that, was already exempt for the season’s final major, meaning the other two spots up for grab in the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned event went to Penge and Fichardt.

Peake, meanwhile, booked his trip to Northern Ireland by holing a ten-foot par putt on the last green to win the New Zealand Open, an Asian Tour event that was also part of this year’s The Open Qualifying Series.

Disappointingly, the final round in the South African Open was cancelled due to a flooded course, meaning it was decided by the 54-hole positions.

That meant a play-off was required to decide the winner after Naidoo and Canter had finished locked together on 14-under-par after Saturday’s penultimate circuit.

The pair returned to the 18th at 3pm local time, with Naidoo's birdie at the first extra hole enough to see him enter the DP World Tour winner's circle for the first time.

There was little to separate the two challengers after their tee-shots, with both men coming up just short of the green. But 27-year-old Naidoo seized the initiative as he chipped to around four feet with his second shot to set up a good birdie chance.

Canter, meanwhile, could only send his second shot to 15 feet and, after he missed his birdie try, Naidoo made no mistake with his to spark jubilant scenes around the green as the fans celebrated a sixth successive home victory at this historic event.

“It’s just been the best day ever,” said Naidoo. “I mean, I’m on the DP World Tour. That’s outrageous. I’m going to be playing around the world against some of the best players in the world. And I’m playing in The Open. It’s a dream.”

Scott Jamieson finished joint-ninth on ten under, picking up just over €34,000, while former winner Richie Ramsay ended up three shots further back in joint-25th.

Left-hander Peake, meanwhile, pipped compatriot Jack Thompson, Japan’s Kaziki and South African Ian Snyman both a shot after signing off with a 66 to finish on 23 under at Millbrook Golf Resort in Queenstown.

“I’ve just changed my life,” said Peake, who ten years ago, at the age of 21, was jailed for five years for assault. “This is what I do. I want to be here and just play golf. The story is what it is but I’m just out here playing golf. I always knew I could do it. It was just a matter of time when I was going to do it.”

The next event in The Open Qualifying Series is the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, which starts at Bay Hill in Florida on Thursday.

Elsewhere, AIG Women’s Open champion Lydia Ko landed her 23rd career victory with a four-shot success in the HSBC Women’s World Championship at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore.

“I felt like today, nobody was going to shoot an ultra-low score,” said Ko after closing with a 69 to finish on 13-under-par. “So, as long as I had a number in my mind and just focused on that, that was all I could do. I did that really well, and I I'm really proud of that.”