[PHOTO: Richard Martin-Roberts/R&A]
Richard Teder had to be gutted. The 20-year-old from Estonia double-bogeyed the 36th hole of his Open Championship final qualifier outside Liverpool overnight (Australian time) and faced a four-man playoff for two spots in the upcoming major at Royal Portrush.
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Then Finland’s Oliver Lindell birdied the second extra hole at West Lancashire, and there was just one berth remaining. That’s when Teder, the only amateur in the playoff, produced two shots that he and his golf-playing countrymen will recall for decades.
Teder blasted a 340-yard drive on the par-4 third playoff hole, and with only 90 yards left he lofted a wedge shot that checked up nicely on the green and rolled into the cup with perfect speed for a walk-off eagle. Playoff over.
Dozens of people following in the fairway let out big cheers, and Teder’s caddie celebrated by lifting him into the air. As Teder approached the hole, he put his hands over his face and peeked into the cup before lifting his ball out.
Moments like this define Final Qualifying.
An incredible eagle for amateur golfer Richard Teder to secure a spot at The 153rd Open. pic.twitter.com/ljOVfXu6oV
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 1, 2025
It was one of those remarkable ocassions that arise in major qualifiers, when a player known to few produces a moment that all the world is heartened to see.
“It doesn’t feel real to have qualified for The Open. It feels like a dream,” said Teder, who tied for fourth at five under (70-69). “I knew the putt on 18 to make the playoff was so important; it’s not over until it’s over, as they say. I’m glad I made the putt. I couldn’t believe the shot went in during the playoff – it just disappeared. It’s an unbelievable feeling. “Everyone dreams of playing in a major. I didn’t think I would ever get to play in a major, but here I am!”
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Teder’s accomplishment will be celebrated by his entire country because he’s the first player from Estonia to qualify for The Open, to be played for the 153rd time starting on July 17. Estonia, which is south of Finland across the Gulf of Finland, was part of the former Soviet Union and has a population of 1.3 million. According to the European Golf Association, as of 2024 the country reported having 12 golf courses and an estimated 2,257 male golfers.
Teder can certainly be considered at the top of the heap. He has risen to 91st in the World Amateur Golf Rankings with three wins in the past year. His victories came in the pro Estonian National Stroke Play Championship and Latvian Open Amateur Championship last year, and the Estonian Match Play Championship in 2025. Teder also reached the quarter-finals of the British Amateur last month and earlier finished second at the Estonian Amateur.
