CHIGWELL'S golfing sensation Oliver Fisher will compete in his first major competition of his short career after he qualified for the highlight of the sport's calendar, the British Open, last week.

Twenty-year-old Fisher will take his place alongside the game's greats when he steps on to Turnberry's Alisa Course next month following a stunning performance at Sunningdale, Berkshire.

The local golfer claimed the ninth qualifying spot out of ten at the European qualifying event with a combined score of seven under from his two rounds.

A four under par first round saw him move into contention and he followed that up in style to earn himself a crack at arguably the most coveted prize in golf, the Claret Jug.

Up until two weeks ago Fisher had endured a barren spell on the European Tour's Race to Dubai, but he could not have enjoyed a more timely return to form.

The result at Sunningdale came hot on the heels of the youngster's best finish of the season, when he came tied for sixth at the prestigious Celtic Manor Wales Open.

A solid first three rounds placed him just outside the top 20, but a stirring climax in the shape of a four under par final round saw him shoot up the leaderboard to finish only four shots behind eventual winner Jeppe Huldahl.

Meanwhile, Epping professional Simon Khan takes to the tees of New York this week to contest the second major of the year, the US Open.

He failed in his bid to qualify for the British Open last week, although he will be boosted by his performance at Celtic Manor, where he came 21st.

Khan will go up against the likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson on the tricky Bethpage Black course, with the tournament getting underway on Thursday (June 18).