Kent’s Steven Tiley, who made a name for himself at St Andrews three years ago, will be back in The Open at Muirfield in a fortnight’s time.

The Herne Bay-based professional, who is a member of the Royal Cinque Ports club at Deal, dominated the rest of the field in Tuesday’s 36-hole Local Final Qualifying event at The Musselburgh in Scotland, carding rounds of 64 and 69 to win by three shots on nine-under-par from Lloyd Saltman and Tyrrell Hatton.

Tiley was in a tie for third place after his opening 66 at St Andrews before eventually finishing tied 68th and he also qualified for the Open in 2004 and for last year’s championship at Royal Lytham, where he missed the cut.

He said: “I have never played Muirfield, so it’s nice to know that I’m into The Open and for me, it’s easily the best championship in the world.

“I have grown up playing links golf and it was just good to give myself a great chance with that 64 in the morning.

“Then, in the afternoon, I started with birdies at the first two holes. I did drop a few shots but I did nothing too silly and it was all just a matter of staying alive.

“I’m competing in a Challenge Tour event in Switzerland next week and it’s going to be nice knowing my next event after that will be The Open.”

Tiley was only the Kent golfer to make it through Local Final Qualifying.

His fellow Royal Cinque Ports member, 19-year-old England amateur international Max Orrin from Thanet, missed out by three shots at Gullane after rounds of 69 and 75 for a two-over-par total of 144.

At Dunbar, Ryan Boyns, from The Ridge, was just two shots outside the qualifying mark after rounds of 66 and 69 for a five-under-par total of 135.

Two other Kent players were in action at Dunbar. Richard Neil-Jones (Rochester & Cobham) carded a one-under-par 139 while Dan Maude (Canterbury) recorded a nine-over 149.

At North Berwick, professional Zane Scotland, who is a member of Prince’s GC at Sandwich Bay, missed out by five shots after rounds of 69 and 73 for level par 142 while amateur Amir Habibi from Royal St George’s struggled to 14-over-par 156.

Back at The Musselburgh, Jack Colegate (Rochester & Cobham) recorded a six-over-par total of 148 while Frannie McGuirk (Prince’s) and Michael Bush (Rochester & Cobham) both recorded “no returns.”