LUCAS Herbert’s first memories of the British Open are watching Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington going head-to-head at Carnoustie.
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That was in 2007 when Harrington denied Garcia his first major title by winning in a play-off.
Eleven years on Bendigo’s Herbert will walk those same Carnoustie fairways as Harrington and Garcia did back in 2007 when he tees off in his first British Open in July following his qualification last week.
“It’s been fantastic to have all the messages of support, and for all my Bendigo mates to be now working out how they can get over and watch is just great,” Herbert said during a round at his home club, Neangar Park, on Saturday morning as part of a fleeting visit back to Bendigo.
“I have always thought how cool would it be to go to a British Open just to watch, but I’m going to be playing it, so it’s fantastic. It’s going to be good fun.
“I’m trying not to think about it too much or get too hyped up about it and just prepare for it like it’s any other event, but I don’t know if it’s going to be that easy.”
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Herbert qualified for the British Open, his first major, after he tied for eighth in the recent Singapore Open.
The Singapore Open provided an opportunity for the leading four players who finish in the top 12, who were not already exempt, to qualify for the British Open to be held from July 15 to 22.
Herbert says he was more nervous in the clubhouse after his final round than he was on the course waiting to find out if his score of -6 would be enough to book his berth at Carnoustie.
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“Berry Henson had two holes left to play when I finished. If he had birdied one of the last two he would have knocked me out, but he made two pars so I had him covered,” Herbert said.
“And in the last group Ryo Ishikawa and one other player could have knocked me out too if they had made birdies… it was more nervous sitting there watching the scores come in then it was out on the course.”
Being the highest-ranked non-exempt player in the group that tied for eighth secured Herbert’s ticket to Carnoustie, while also increasing his world ranking from 274 to 226.
Carnoustie won’t be a new course for Herbert, with the 22-year-old having previously played it at the British Amateur Championship in 2015.
“It’s a really hard course. I played there three years ago, so it could be a bit of fun if the wind gets up,” said Herbert, who is coached by Dom Azzopardi.
“It’s so hard to have expectations when it’s still this far out because you just don’t know how you’re going to be playing that week.
“If I’m hitting it really well and everything is feeling great then there’s no reason why I can’t run in the top 20 or top 10 and have a real good look at what it’s all about.
“But it’s just so hard week to week in terms of when your game can be really good and then when it can drop off… you’ve just got to work with the game you’ve got.”
Herbert’s qualification for the British Open came on the back of a pair of top 10 finishes earlier this summer at the Australian Open (tied 6th) and Australian PGA (tied 7th), with his next challenge a trip to China to play the PGA Tour China qualifying school.
Jazz Janewattananond, Danthai Boonma and Sean Crocker joined Herbert in qualifying for the 147th British Open from the Singapore tournament.
