6-foot-9 Tommy Morrison qualifies for Open as first American to win European Amateur

The Open Championship field just got a lot taller.

Tommy Morrison, the 6-foot-9 standout who is entering his junior season at Texas, punched his ticket to the July 18-21 major championship at Royal Troon by winning the European Amateur on Saturday at The Scandinavian’s New Course in Denmark. Morrison topped Ireland’s Max Kennedy and Arizona State senior Preston Summerhays in a three-hole playoff to become the first American winner in championship history.

Past winners include Sergio Garcia (1995), Carl Pettersson (2000), Rory McIlroy (2006), Victor Dubuisson (2009), Lucas Bjerregaard (2010), Nicolai Hojgaard (2018) and Matti Schmid (2019, 2020).

Morrison, who is ranked No. 38 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, entered the week with some momentum after reaching the Round of 16 at last week’s British Amateur. He had a strong spring, too, posting six top-12 finishes for the Longhorns.

He capped Saturday’s final round with bogeys on par 5s, but he posted six birdies and an eagle between them to shoot 5-under 67 and finish at 9 under, tied with Kennedy (67) and Summerhays (69). In the playoff, Morrison and Kenneder birdied the second extra hole before Morrison birdied the third to win the playoff.

Reigning British Amateur champion Jacob Skov Olesen tied for fifth at 6 under while Texas Tech’s Calum Scott was solo fourth at 7 under.