July 1 was an important day for several golfers, as it was a chance for talented golfers to display their talent on one of golf’s biggest stages. It was the day that hosted the final qualifier for the 2025 Open Championship, which is now less than two weeks away. The tournament has always been known to give us some spectacular moments in history, and this year, we witnessed a spectacle from 20-year-old Richard Teder, who will become the first ever Estonian to play in a major. While he’s still an amateur, Teder opened up on his future goals, and more specifically, a challenge with Bryson DeChambeau.

Hailing from Estonia, Teder comes from a family completely disconnected from golf. And yet, the young lad sent social media into a frenzy earlier this week when he earned the final spot at the Open Championship qualifier on Tuesday. While he was clearly in the picture after 36 holes, a heart-stopping double bogey on the 18th forced him into a four-man playoff at West Lancashire. With only two spots remaining, and one spot taken by Finland’s Oliver Lindell on the second playoff hole, Teder blasted a 340-yard drive on the third hole. And no one expected what came next. He holed a 90-yard wedge shot for a dramatic eagle and walked away with the final spot of the qualifier. “It doesn’t feel real to have qualified for the Open. It feels like a dream,” Teder confessed.

Now, the viral qualifier expressed his dreams of being on the PGA Tour, and who he’d meet in two weeks at Royal Portrush. “Has to be Bryson. Bryson DeChambeau,” the amateur confessed. While DeChambeau might be a role model because of his explosiveness off the tee for several youngsters, Teder feels that his power off the tee could nearly match DeChambeau’s. “Oh, I’d love a picture with him. That would be nice. And then if I could have a long drive competition with that guy, that would be sick,” he went on to add, expressing a desire for an impromptu battle over driving distance.

And Teder isn’t exaggerating. His clubhead speed is between 126-127 mph, which is close to Niklas Norgaard, who is currently ranked number 1 on the PGA Tour for his clubhead speed. Even Teder’s final drive of 340 yards during the qualifying was proof of the same. While he feels that he could potentially match up to DeChambeau, he’s confident that he wouldn’t lose the long drive competition by much — “That’s a verrrry good question, man. I’ve gained some speed over the last couple of years. I think he’s going to get me by a little bit, but not much, though.” 

After creating history by becoming the first golfer from Estonia to qualify for a major, Richard Teder doesn’t want to just compete and become the first Estonian to play in the Open. He wants to triumph.

Not Bryson DeChambeau, but this 20-year-old thinks he can win The Open

While Teder exuded confidence in his golfing abilities, he also believes that he has a chance at winning at Royal Portrush. “Can I win the Open Championship? I’d like to think so. I mean, if I play my best and really my best, if I play some good golf, I definitely have a chance, yeah. We all breathe in the same air here, so, I mean, we’re all humans. Nothing is impossible,” the 20-year-old boldly confessed.

And we can’t deny that his mental attitude towards the game is already at an elite level. It doesn’t matter what the results ultimately bring him. But the fact that he’s going to play the tournament with this confidence is proof that the young lad will go places! Teder’s first plan this year, however, is to earn a card on the HotelPlanner Tour, which is a circuit below the DP World Tour.

But if he displays his stellar skills and mental strength like he did at the Qualifier, he might have a good chance of finishing at the top among the world’s best and open up several avenues for himself on some of golf’s best platforms.