WRAG Barn amateur Matt Mumford says narrowly missing out on progressing to the next round of qualifying for the Open Championships has made him consider a career in golf.

Mumford shot a one over par 73 to finish tied 14th at the Remedy Oak qualifying event. Frustratingly only the top 12 went through to the next round of qualifying for the prestigious major championship, meaning Mumford missed out on being part of a seven-way play-off for the five progression spots by just one shot.

Mumford came into the regional qualifer in good form, he recently broke the course record at Wrag and won the men’s club championship last month.

Speaking to the Advertiser, Mumford admitted to mixed feelings after playing well and coming so close to progressing to the final qualifying event.

“To finish tied 14th in a field so large and with a lot of pros encourages me for when I turn pro in the future and makes me think I could do this for a living,” he said.

“It looks like out of the 12 spots available I just missed making a play-off, to miss out by one shot is quite gutting.

“I couldn’t have had a better start, I started with a birdie at the first, then played pretty solidly but I bogeyed the fifth and was level at the turn.

“I thought level would be good enough, then I dropped shots at 10 and 13 and I knew I needed to make a couple of birdies. I went for the green in two at the par five 17th but I put it in the pond but I got up and down for four, then I rolled in a 20 foot putt on the 18th to get a birdie for one over.

“My round finished at 11.30/12 and I waited for six hours to see if I had qualified, they (the organisers) said to hang to see if there was a play-off.

“This has made me think about going pro a bit more, I’m only 19 so I think I can wait another year or two. I’ve got the Westwood Tour to defend, and the Wrag Barn club championships.

“It’s the first time I’ve been low enough ranked to enter the Open qualifiers, to do so well shows how far my game has come along.”

Wrag's three other players at the event, Ben Loughrey, Josh Plaister and Josh Loughrey finished tied for 41st, 48th and 58th respectively.

Martin Sell, another pro at Wrag Barn, had already progressed to final qualifying on July 1.