The Open: Brandon Robinson Thompson takes grandfather to Royal Liverpool on debut
- Published
Brandon Robinson Thompson is having his best season to date since turning professional in 2018, with two wins and three top 10 finishes
Open Championship debutant Brandon Robinson Thompson feels "privileged" to play in the historic major.
The 30-year-old punched his ticket to the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool by finishing second in the Royal Porthcawl final qualifier in Wales.
"The Open is the pinnacle of golf itself," Robinson Thompson told BBC Sport.
"It is awesome to be here, links golf is a true test and the purest form of the game."
Robinson Thompson, from Freshwater on the Isle of Wight, has never played in one of golf's majors before.
Before his Open debut at Royal Liverpool he had a practice round with fellow Englishman and 2022 US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick.
"We had an awesome crowd following us and we got some good practice in," he added.
"The rough is a little juicy with some of the rain that we've had recently and the bunkers are a 'no go', especially on the fairway.
"I came here hoping I can make the cut and believing I can make it into the weekend.
"But we know our ability and the priority is to have fun and stick to the game plan."
Grandfather's attendance 'very special to me'
Brandon Robinson Thompson qualified for the 151st Open with a second place in final qualifying at Royal Porthcawl in July
Robinson Thompson, who is ranked 812th in the world, is in good form and recently won the Northern Ireland Open to claim his second title of 2023 to go alongside his three top-10 finishes on the MENA Tour.
The Englishman is backing himself to put in a good performance at Hoylake but is realistic about the challenge.
"The course is amazing and the atmosphere is incredible," he said following his practice round on Wednesday.
"Compared to the EuroPro Tour it's a different world but that's what you practice for and that's why you play those tours, to build-up your game and be ready for opportunities like this.
"A nice gentlemen in the locker room [at Hoylake] reminded me that we are in the top 1% of the 1% teeing it up this week.
"So I feel very privileged to be here and it is thanks to lot of hard work and dedication from myself and people behind the scenes."
Robinson Thompson, who is having his best season to date since turning professional five years ago, only started playing golf seriously as a teenager after tearing his ACL.
Like many Britons his passion for the sport took him the US, where he studied and played at university in California.
The islander credits his grandfather for getting him involved in golf as a youngster: "He got me interested in the sport when I was about eight or nine years old," he said.
"Those putts that you would say 'are to win The Open' when you are practicing as a kid are now real.
"My grandfather has never been to The Open before but he has come up for it this year, so it is a first for us both, and that is very special to me."