Lucas Herbert’s first British Open didn’t finish the way he wanted, but the experience gained at Carnoustie will help his game long-term.
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The 22-year-old shot a six-over par 77 on day four to finish in a tie for 51st at four-over par.
Italian Francesco Molinari finished at eight-under par to win his first Open title.
Sunday’s final round was a tough day for scoring.
Herbert looked set for a top 30 finish until he missed a birdie putt on the 16th, bogeyed the 17th and double-bogeyed the 18th.
The final stretch left a sour taste in his mouth.
The dropped shots cost Herbert valuable Race to Dubai points as he tries to earn his card on the European Tour for 2019.
“A bogey, double (bogey) finish is probably going to hurt at the end of the year,’’ a disappointed Herbert told Fox Sports after his round.
“I’m not too happy with that.”
The disappointing final two holes aside, Herbert put together an impressive Open debut.
While big names like world number one Dustin Johnson and two-time US Masters champion Bubba Watson missed the cut, Herbert played two rounds of solid golf to make the weekend at his first attempt.
A fine two-under par 69 on day three put Herbert inside the top 30 heading into the final round.
Throw in practice rounds with Tiger Woods and Justin Rose, and Herbert had every reason to feel proud about his week.
“Eventually I’ll be able to take the positives, but right now it’s hurting a little bit,’’ Herbert said.
“I’ll try to focus on those positives and come back better.”
Herbert collected 23,358 Euros in prize money and 27,161 Race to Dubai points.
He’s now 122nd on the Race to Dubai rankings. He needs to be inside the top 110 by the end of the season to earn his card for next year.
His next strop is this week’s European Open in Hamburg, Germany and then it’s back to the southern hemisphere for the Fiji International from August 2-5.
