Huge win: The Open beckons – Oliver Lindell secures his place at Royal Portrush

Oliver Lindell will be the fifth Finnish player in history to compete in The Open. He qualified for The Open, which will be played at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland starting on 17 July, by finishing 153rd in the final qualifying round. This will be the third time the tournament has been held at this venue. In addition to being perhaps the most legendary tournament in the world, this year's prize pool is reported to be $17 million. By comparison, the typical DP World Tour prize pool is around $3 million per tournament.

Lindell entered the West Lancashire final qualifying round with the best finish of his DPWT career – his first top 10 finish. Lindell led the two-round competition after the opening round in the morning, but fell to a tie for fourth place in the second round (67-72, -5). This meant a four-man playoff for the two remaining spots, with the top five earning a place in The Open.

Lindell was very pleased with his putting game going into the competition, especially after last week's tournament in Italy, but in the qualifying round, his putter faltered and "nothing went in". The Finn was the first of the four to advance, with a birdie on the second hole (West Lancashire's 18th hole – par 4). His putter woke up at the decisive moment when a five-metre birdie putt sank, and the Finn celebrated more wildly than he ever had in his entire career.

"It was an incredible feeling. When I reached the finish line, I couldn't believe it was possible, because I hadn't sunk a single putt on the back nine, and now, in the play-off, I sank a putt from over 10 metres, and then another five-metre birdie putt in the second play-off, which secured me a place in The Open," Lindell said incredulously.

"My self-confidence got another incredible boost. I told Eetu (my caddie) on the second playoff hole that moments like these are why we do what we do. This feels like a victory."

Lindell's last year has been eventful, ever since he was eliminated from the Challenge Tour in Vierumäki. However, this disappointment has been followed by a series of magnificent performances and achievements. Almost immediately after the disappointment of his home tournament, the Porvoo native racked up eight top 10 finishes in a row on the Challenge Tour, and his promotion to the DP World Tour was complete. Lindell has shown in his debut season that he belongs on Europe's main tour, and the results have been impressive.