TWO amateur golfers from one Kent club are one step away from a dream appearance at the Open Championship.

Stuart Wilson and Steve Tiley, both members of Canterbury Golf Club, have made it through to the final qualifying round to be held at the weekend and on Monday.

If they are successful they could be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Tiger Woods, Colin Montgomerie, Nick Price and Ernie Els at Royal St George’s, Sandwich, during the championships starting on Thursday in front of a worldwide television audience.

Wilson (h1), 29, finished third in the qualifying round at Orsett, Essex, on Monday, with a five-under-par 67. He said: “There were 130 people there playing for eight spots and I was up against some top amateurs and professionals.

“Getting to the final qualifying round is one of my best achievements.

“It will be a good buzz to play alongside some of the big names in the sport because at amateur level you don’t often get a chance to do that.”

Wilson, who will be playing at Littlestone, is due off at 11.46am with Graeme Bell, of Eaglescliffe, and South African Jean Hugo.

The calibre of the players taking part is underlined by European Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance being in the group playing immediately afterwards.

It will be a similar qualifying procedure to the previous round with the top eight making through to Royal St George’s, and Wilson believes he could be among them.

He said: “If I can end up four or five under par again then I have not got a bad chance of getting in, but it depends what the others do as well.”

Wilson will be joined in the qualifiers by Tiley (h2) who plays with him at Canterbury Golf Club and in the Kent team.

The 20-year-old, of The Bridleway, Herne Bay, also got though at Orsett, following a birdie at the first hole of a play-off.

Tiley, a former member of Whitstable and Seasalter Golf Club and Chestfield Golf Club, will be in the qualifying competition on Saturday and Sunday at his home course of Royal Cinque Ports, where he is also now a member in addition to Canterbury.

His father, John, said: “Steve’s target was just to get through the first qualifying round, which he has done, and anything else is a bonus. If he gets to Sandwich on the day he’ll be very happy indeed.”

It will be the first time Tiley, who has just completed the first year of a golf scholarship at the University of South East Louisiana, has been in the same competition as such high profile players.

John said: “He’s up against some tough opposition, but is looking forward to it.”

Former Canterbury club captain Allister Raphael said: “This is a win for Canterbury, too, and we wish them both the best of luck.”