Golf professionals from across the county will bid to book their place in next month's Open Championship when they compete in Local Final Qualifying on Tuesday.

And some of them will be rubbing shoulders with New Zealander Michael Campbell, pictured, who won the 2005 US Open, and Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal, who will captain the Europe team in next year's Ryder Cup.

The 36-hole qualifying competition is taking place at four courses, Littlestone, Prince's, Royal Cinque Ports and Rye with the top three at each venue securing a place at Sandwich for the Open first round on July 14.

Campbell is playing at Prince's which will also feature the biggest Kent contingent led by Steve Tiley, who is hoping to qualify for the Open for the third time. In last year's Championship at St Andrews the Herne Bay 28-year-old briefly led the entire field on his way to shooting a first-round 66.

Tiley will be joined at the Sandwich Bay course by Tenterden's Benn Barham, who would relish playing at Sandwich as he continues his comeback from surgery to remove a tumour on his kidney last autumn.

The other Kent professionals in action at Prince's are Paul Sherman (Ashford), Richard Wallis (Walmer & Kingsdown), Michael Bush (Hever Castle) and Francis McGuirk from the host club, plus amateur Adam Hedges from Sundridge Park.

Olazabal, twice winner of the US Masters, is having to try to qualify for this year's Open because of his on-going rheumatism problems, which meant he was only able to play in three competitions last season. Among his opponents at Littlestone will be Kent trio Peter Appleyard (Redlibbets), Jamie Harris (The Nevill) and Andy Smith (Tudor Park).

Liam Harper from the Homelands club at Ashford will be in action at Royal Cinque Ports along with amateur Todd Adcock from The Nevill, while down at Rye GC the Kent hopefuls are Richard Silman (Tenterden), Tom Sherreard (Chart Hills), James Marshall (Westerham) and Bearsted-based Matt Ford, plus amateur Connor Fletcher from Chart Hills.