JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Bruce Vaughan of the United States fired his second straight 69 Thursday to claim one of four spots in the 2006 British Open. A field of 38 competed in a two-day, 36-hole qualifier over the East Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.
The other three spots all went to South Africans. First-round leader Warren Abery added a second round of 70 to his opening 66 to take medalist honors at 136, while Ross Wellington posted scores of 69-68 to finish second at 137.
Vaughan, a longtime regular on the Southern African circuit, tied at 138 with Thomas Aiken, who posted scores of 71 and 67.
All three South Africans qualified for their first British Open, while Vaughan will be making his second appearance after also playing in 1994.
"I got into The Open by finishing second on the [South African] Sunshine Tour Order of Merit in 1993-1994," explained Vaughan. "We stayed in a house not too far from Turnberry and I shot a 69 in the first round. Then I almost missed my tee time the second round and had to run down the first with my clubs in hand, leaving my caddie somewhere in the distance.
"I missed the cut by one and it is one of my greatest regrets," he said. "This time I plan to do it right all the way."
Abery, 31, considered quitting golf in recent years, but bounced back to win the Telkom PGA Championship on the 2005 Southern Africa Tour, and last fall earned a 2006 European Tour card. As soon as the South African season concludes, he plans to play in Europe.
Aiken has won the Sunshine Tour Winter Swing Order of Merit two years in a row, while Wellington is also a Southern Africa circuit regular.
A pair of South African players, Hendrik Buhrmann and Ian Hutchings, missed out by a single shot at 139, Buhrmann posting scores of 72-67 and Hutchings coming in at 71-68. Bradford Vaughan of South Africa finished at 140 after rounds of 69-71.
Among the other players to miss out were Southern Africa Tour regulars Jaco Van Zyl (71-71), Desmond Terblanche (69-75), Nico Van Rensburg (73-72), Desvonde Botes (73-74) and Nic Henning (76-75).
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