Tour News (posted 2nd July 1998)

Mize and Stadler aim for Open qualification

Former Masters champions Larry Mize and Craig Stadler are among the players entered for the final qualifying event for the Open championship.

The final places at Royal Birkdale in two weeks' time will be decided over 36 holes at four courses in the Southport area on 12th - 13th July.

Mize, who holed a chip-and-run shot at Augusta in 1987 to win a play-off against Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros, plays at Hesketh, as do former Ryder Cup pair David Gilford and Gordon Brand Jnr and 1987 Open runner-up Rodger Davis. Stadler, the 1982 Masters champion, competes at Southport and Ainsdale.

Another ex-Ryder Cup star, Howard Clark, is at West Lancashire and the field at Hillside includes Sam Torrance, although his French Open victory on Sunday is almost certain to earn him one of the five exempt places decided next week from a current form league table.