BEN Stow will have to get used to his fan base growing far beyond his family after clinching a dream place at the 142nd Open Championship later this month.

The 22-year-old amateur, from East Knoyle just south of Warminster, earned the right to tee up alongside the world’s greatest players at Muirfield (July 18-21) after winning the local final qualifying event on the Gullane No 1 course in Scotland on Tuesday.

Wiltshire county player Stow, who began a sports scholarship at the University of Kentucky at the beginning of the year, shot rounds of 72 and 68 to finish two under par in East Lothian, beating eight-time European number one Colin Montgomerie by five shots.

The England international is now preparing to rub shoulders with the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and new US Open champion Justin Rose as he makes an astounding debut at the Open – the oldest of golf’s four ‘Majors’.

“This will be the first Tour event that I’ve ever been to because I’d always just watch things like the Open on television, but thinking that I’m going to be teeing off against the best in the world in less than two weeks is really surreal,” said Stow, who plays out of the Rushmore club, near Salisbury.

“I was 16 the first time I tried to qualify and I had another go after that but I guess it was a case of third time lucky.

“I actually came into qualifying with no form but my coach (Darren Gass) helped me make a tiny difference to my swing and I just played lovely golf.

“My caddie (Freddie Rexstrew) kept me level-headed and I just saw the shots and played them. I finished three hours early and the waiting was just horrible.

“I tried to escape the scoreboard and have some dinner away from the course but when I finally saw that the people that could beat me fell short, it was phenomenal.’’ “I’m used to just plodding along from course to course, with pretty much only my mum (Belinda) and dad (Kevin) interested in what I’m doing but this will obviously be a lot different.

“They’re going to be getting a place to stay for the week and my coach and caddie will be coming too so I’ll have the whole team.”

Stow, who also has sisters Louise, 30, and Elizabeth, 28, and a brother Jack, 25, is currently ranked 90th in the world amateur rankings and admits that he was initially disappointed to fall short of a spot at this year’s US Amateur Championship.

He added: “You have to be in the top 50 in the world to get there and I was really gutted about not making it but I suppose qualifying for the Open makes up for it.”

University of Kentucky head coach Brian Craig was thrilled with Stow’s qualification.

“Ben is one of the most talented and dedicated young men I have ever been around,” he said.

“It is great to see the fruits of his labour pay off – this will be a phenomenal experience for Ben and I could not be prouder of him.”

Stow, who is studying for a degree in Community and Leadership Development at Kentucky, is the second player from west Wiltshire to reach the Open in recent years.

Trowbridge professional Steve Surry, based at the Cumberwell Park club near Bradford on Avon, qualified at Turnberry in 2009 and was four shots behind Stow at Gullane this time.

At one of the other three courses to hold a qualifying event, Dunbar, Cumberwell Park’s Charlie Cossins finished tied 18th after rounds of 67 and 71.

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