Open qualifying: Nick Raybould and Bailey Gill experience differing fortunes at Lindrick, as David Hague blitzes Alwoodley

That was exactly the case on Monday when the famous course on the border of South Yorkshire and North Notts was one of 15 venues hosting local qualifying for next month’s Open Championship.

A groundswell of entrants due to a less penal handicap system and the general growth of the game meant Lindrick was only informed three weeks ago that it was needed to satisfy the influx of entrants and even then, they accommodated 30 more than they did at the same stage last year.

Twelve months ago Lindrick professional Bailey Gill shot 64 to saunter through to final qualifying for the 150th Open, but this year his 71 made for a frustrating end.

Second on the leaderboard when he finished just before lunch, his name steadily dropped out of the top seven that progressed to the final stage next week.

“It’s one of the toughest rounds I’ve had around here,” said Gill, who knows the heathland/moorland layout better than most.

“The wind was in an unusual direction.”

Gill has progressed through this stage four times from five previous attempts but missed out by a shot this time.

“I didn’t play particularly well,” he admitted. “There’s quite a lot of pressure on you when it’s your home course.”

One shot better off and making it through to final qualifying next Tuesday was 26-year-old Nick Raybould from Bridlington, who is an assistant pro at Seacroft Golf Club in Skegness.

No stranger to gusting wind playing on a seaside links, he sat two under par through 15 holes before a nervy finish saw him drop back to level and a round of 70, good enough to lead for much of the day until Pannal’s Oliver White (67), Monty Scowsill of Woodbridge (68) and Finland’s Ilari Saulo (69) eclipsed him.

“Last year I doubled-bogeyed the 18th to miss out by one, so I felt the course owed me one,” smiled Raybould, inset, who was later joined on level par by amateur Sam Stokes of Wetherby and Joe Dean of College Pines.

“It’s been a much tougher day this year, bit more wind, bit firmer.”

On why so many professionals and amateurs fork out £150 to contest qualifying when the odds of them reaching the Open at Royal Liverpool next month are so long (only 16 places available), Raybould said: “Assistant pros teach, we work in the shop, we do the business side of it, basically every aspect of golf that we can enjoy, but it’s playing and competing that we love most.

“And the chance to compete and in my case play in final qualifying is incredible.”

David Hague (Malton & Norton) was a clear winner at Alwoodley after a six-under-par 65, five better than Outlane’s Rob Booth, with Moortown’s Nick McCarthy and Normanton’s Richard Law advancing on level par.

Ben Hutchinson (Howley Hall) survived a seven-man play-off for the final three spots after a 72.