SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Malaysia's Danny Chia will make his second appearance at the British Open this July after carding a three-under-par 69 for the second successive round at Asia's International Final Qualifying tournament on Wednesday.
The 35-year-old sank crucial birdie putts on the 16th and 17th at the Sentosa Golf Club to lead all qualifiers on six-under-par 138, securing a second trip to the sport's oldest major after playing in the 2005 Open at St. Andrews.
Chia, who won the Taiwan Open in 2002, will be teeing off at Royal Birkdale on July 17 along with Australia's Adam Blyth, Singapore's Lam Chih Bing and Angelo Que of the Philippines as the four qualifiers from the 64-player field.
"I didn't putt well today but I played good," Chia told reporters.
"I played within myself and made two birdies coming back when I needed them the most.
"It's going to be very exciting to go back to the Open. I was there in 2005 and hopefully I've learned from that and will use it in Royal Birkdale."
Blyth, who will be appearing at his first major, fired a bogey-free 66 to finish a shot behind Chia, while Que and Lam emerged from a three-man playoff after signing for two-day totals of 140 in a share of third place.
"The putts just went in today," the 26-year-old Blyth said.
"I played scrappy yesterday but managed to get myself into position this morning. I'm stoked to get into my first major."apan's Tomohiro Kondo was the man to miss out in the playoff after firing a second successive two-under-par 70 in regulation play.
Local hope Lam, who played in his first Open at Carnoustie last year, was the first to seal his place at Royal Birkdale from the playoff with a birdie on the second extra hole, played over the 18th.
Que then became the first Filipino since Frankie Minoza in 1998 to qualify for the Open in superb style, holing a monster 40-foot birdie putt at the fourth extra hole to snuff out Kondo's hopes.
(Reporting by John O'Brien; Editing by Sonia Oxley)
