Chris Kirk

Lifted his fifth PGA Tour title at February’s Honda Classic, beating Eric Cole with a birdie on the first play-off hole, and returns to The Open as a member of the world’s top 50 at the end of May.

His previous victory on the circuit was back in 2015 during a spell that earned him a Presidents Cup debut, but he then fell as low as 522nd on the rankings while taking an indefinite break from the sport.

Kirk played alongside Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, Webb Simpson and Billy Horschel at the 2007 Walker Cup in Northern Ireland, with Rory McIlroy and Danny Willett on the Great Britain and Ireland team.

The second leading individual at the 2014 Eisenhower Trophy World Amateur Team Championship, he then won the 2011 Viking Classic, 2013 McGladrey Classic, 2014 Deutsche Bank Championship and 2015 Crowne Plaza Invitational. Also in 2014, he finished second in the FedEx Cup play-off series behind Horschel.

His best major finish came at last year’s PGA Championship, a tie for fifth only two strokes behind play-off pair Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris. His major debut was at the 2008 US Open, but this is only his fifth appearance at The Open.