Amputee golfer Geoff Nicholas will take his place among some of the greatest names in world golf after qualifying for this week’s Senior Open Championship at famed Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Losing his right leg at a young age due to a deformity caused by the morning sickness drug Thalidomide, Nicholas has won British and US Amputee Opens but will now share the stage with the likes of Tom Watson, Darren Clarke, Fred Couples, Retief Goosen and Jose Maria Olazabal in one of the biggest events on the seniors schedule.

A member at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney and a Senior Tournament Member (NSW) of the PGA of Australia, Nicholas is one of four Australians to qualify for the Senior Open and who will join tour veterans Peter Fowler, Peter O’Malley, David McKenzie, Stephen Leaney and Kiwis Michael Campbell and Greg Turner.

A former PGA Trainee of the Year, Paul Archbold has spent the best part of the past 25 years working as a teaching professional in Germany and was the only player under par in qualifying at Hillside Golf Club, birdies at 11, 15 and 17 setting him up for a round of 1-under 71 after starting from the 10th tee.

It will be the second consecutive appearance at the Senior Open for Archbold who also qualified for the 2018 tournament where he finished tied for 32nd at St Andrews.

Based at Cromer Golf Club in Sydney, PGA Professional Nicholas Robb also qualified at Hillside, four bogeys and two birdies in a round of 2-over 74 enough to secure one of the 12 places on offer for his Staysure Tour debut.

Former European Tour player John Wade, now the Assistant Professional at Commonwealth Golf Club in Melbourne, qualified at Fairhaven with a 1-under round of 71 but Nicholas had to earn his place at extra holes.

Tied for 12th with an even-par round of 72, Nicholas secured two of the places on offer in the five-man playoff, regrouping after a nervous finish to his round.

Starting with birdies at three of his first five holes, Nicholas was well inside the qualifying mark through 12 holes but bogeys at 13, 16 and 17 looked like proving costly until a birdie at the par-5 closing hole gave him a shot at qualifying.

Winner of the inaugural British Amputee Open in 1990 and fourth at last year’s All Abilities Championship at his home club, when Nicholas tees off on Thursday evening Australian time it will mark the next step in a remarkable journey for the 57-year-old who was taunted by his disability as a child.

“It’s been so good to me, even up to now,” Nicholas said in an interview for the European Disabled Golfers Association of golf’s impact in his life.

“It helps me and makes me forget [my disability].

“There are not many games that you can compete against able-bodied players. It is probably the only sport in the world that you can do that on an equal playing field.”

A playing field that he will share this week with major winners, PGA TOUR and European Tour legends.

Prominent names in golf Gary Nicklaus and Brandel Chamblee also came through qualifying to book their place at Lytham but there were near misses for both Peter Lonard and Michael Long, Lonard missing out by a shot at Southport and Ainsdale and Long pipped in a playoff at St Annes Old Links.