One of the most standout names to come out of Final Qualifying on Tuesday is, arguably, that of Marcus Plunkett. A West Point alumnus, Plunkett spent five years in the United States Army as a transportation officer, first posted to South Korea, then to Fort Carson near Colorado Springs. Now, he’s earned a spot at The Open by the narrowest of margins.

Plunkett carded rounds of 69-72 at Dundonald Links for 3-under, two shots behind Jack McDonald. Had he finished one stroke higher, he would have faced a 5-for-1 playoff alongside Angel Hidalgo (T6). But his story to this point is pretty interesting.

Near the tail end of his service, Plunkett picked up golf again and, after leaving the Army, turned pro in 2021. He earned KFT status via Q‑School in 2024, but managed only eight cuts from 20 starts and finished 134th in points, losing his card. These days he plays on the Asian Tour and the Asian Tour’s Development circuit, yet in two weeks, he’ll be making his major debut.

Following the qualification, Plunkett told Asian Tour, “To play in the most historic event, I couldn’t have dreamed it up better… It’s going to be awesome. All those stingers I hit on the driving range as a kid really paid off!” Fellow Asian Tour pro Austen Truslow, who toyed with the idea of stepping back from pro golf, also made it into the field.

But Plunkett and Truslow are hardly the only stories worth reading from Tuesday.

Matthew Jordan and James Nicholas also move forward

Let’s talk about Matthew Jordan, who qualified for the U.S. Open in early June.

Jordan clinched qualification after a three-for-one playoff at West Lancashire with fellow Englishmen Joe Dean and Sam Easterbrook, having posted 8-under over 36 holes. The trio all parred the first playoff hole, but Jordan ended it on the second with a birdie.

On Tuesday, as per reports, Jordan fought food poisoning as well. “I woke up last night feeling terrible for whatever reason, so I was tired coming here, and then once I finished 18 I could feel my body kind of giving up on me because I was so tired,” Jordan said, as per Golf Channel.

Regardless, Jordan, who has played in every The Open since 2022, is excited to play at Royal Birkdale. In his statement to DP World Tour, Jordan said, “I just love it… It’s just the best tournament in the world. I absolutely love it.” In another statement, he added, “I’m really pleased. Days like this are long, and to come away from it saying you didn’t qualify in a playoff would be gutting, so it makes it all worthwhile.” In 2023 and 2024, Jordan finished tied for 10th, so the expectations are pretty high.

The other name making rounds is James Nicholas, the golfer who has a solid online fanbase.

“Today was a battle. Got off to a really, really good start, and then it was kind of, hold on, on that back side. But I love links golf. I’ve been saying this week, it’s almost like a religious experience.” And Nicholas, who is one of the four players to have qualified for both the U.S. Open and The Open this season, other than Jordan, Caleb Surratt, and Peter Uihlein, has every right to feel that way.

Nicholas, who described the hardship of playing pro golf, grabbed his maiden Korn Ferry Tour (KFT) win earlier this year and sits 16th on the points table, well placed to earn a PGA Tour card by season’s end. By qualifying for the U.S. Open, he also became the first Yale alumnus to tee it up at the championship since Bob Heintz in 1999, and he had the added distinction of hitting the opening tee shot at Shinnecock on Thursday.

In fact, in the last 10 days, Nicholas has played the U.S. Open, played KFT’s Memorial Health Championship, and flown to England for the Tuesday qualifier. In the Final Qualifying, he shot 65-67 at Burnham & Berrow to take medalist honors. Nicholas will play in his first The Open.

Following the qualification, Nicholas wrote on his Instagram, “We did it 🙂 … on to @theopen Thank you to everyone who came out to support!! What a day!” It is hard not to say it’s his summer.

The Open this season will be held at Royal Birkdale between July 16 and 19.