Asian Tour Qualifying School graduate Charlie Lindh (main picture) is having a week to remember after following up qualification for this year’s Open Championship with a place in the top-10 going into this weekend at the International Series Morocco.

That fine achievement is all-the-more impressive given the gruelling midweek journey it took to reach this week’s venue Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, as part of a whirlwind 48 hours that saw him secure a spot in his first ever Major.

Lindh, who joined the Asian Tour in January after finishing in sixth spot at the Qualifying School in Thailand, had delayed his trip this week to accommodate a visit to Burnham & Berrow in Somerset for Final Open Qualifying.

That proved to be a good call – he secured a place in the field for the 152nd edition at Royal Troon, which takes place from 18-21 July, in nail-biting fashion.

But with a three-hour drive from the course to London, a four-hour stop-over in a hotel and a four-hour drive to Rabat from Marrakesh following his flight to Morocco, Lindh only just made it to Royal Golf Dar Es Salam on Thursday morning, giving him just enough time to walk eight holes and hit the range ahead of his afternoon first-round tee time.

Charlie Lindh is in contention despite no time to play a practice round. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

The 26-year-old could be forgiven for struggling – especially after the excitement of Open qualifying. However, Lindh brushed aside his lack of preparation and fatigue on day one and bounced back from an early double bogey on his second hole with six birdies to record a brave four-under-par 69.

He followed that up on day two with a 71, that also included an early double, to finish at six under, in tied ninth and just three off the lead in a bunched leaderboard.

Lindh admitted he was already running on empty going into the weekend after such a gruelling week. Lindh, who had previously missed the cut at both International Series Oman and International Series Macau presented by Wynn, put his good form down to a combination of decent rest and practice coming into the busy week.

He said: “I got off to a slow start today again, made a double on my third hole. I managed to make a couple of birdies after that but obviously I was struggling at the end. I am so tired at the moment. I just need to go home and sleep and get ready for the weekend.

“I had three weeks off before heading out (to Open qualifying) this week. I had not been playing the way I would like to play. But I took the time off and now I am excited to play again. I had a lot of practice, I changed one thing and that was the major difference.”

It is little wonder that Lindh is mentally and physically tired. With an Open place in his grasp, he bogeyed the 35th of 36 holes played in one day to slip back to five under and into a three-man play-off for the remaining two available spots to join Justin Rose and Dominic Clemons.

Despite overcooking his birdie attempt on the first play-off hole, Lindh held his nerve to slot home the four-foot return and secure his spot alongside Fireballs GC star Abraham Ancer, at the expense of his LIV Golf League colleague Anirban Lahiri of Crushers GC.

Lindh made it on to the Asian Tour this year after finishing sixth at Qualifying School. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

Having claimed a spot in his first-ever major, Lindh does not want to rest on his laurels. He still has International Series glory on his mind, chasing leader John Catlin as part of a packed leaderboard that has a five-man tie for second just a shot behind the American.

Lindh said: “You know this week is going to be like this, so you must accept it. And that is why I had those three weeks off, to make sure I was fully charged. But I am still tired, no doubt about it. I felt tired and was feeling it out on the course. Travelling between the Open qualifying and here was horrendous but I am here and I am in contention and I’m excited to be playing this weekend – it’s brilliant.”