CT Pan Secures Spot at The Open Championship After Stellar Performance at John Deere Classic

Chinese Taipei's CT Pan clinched a spot at The Open Championship after finishing second at the John Deere Classic, marking his best finish of the season. American Davis Thompson won the tournament, while England's Aaron Rai, Korea's Sungjae Im, and Pan's compatriot Kevin Yu also performed well.

Chinese Taipei's CT Pan earned one of two coveted tickets to The Open Championship on Sunday after finishing runner-up at the John Deere Classic. Pan, 32, shot an impressive 7-under 64 in the final round at TPC Deere Run in Illinois, achieving his best finish of the season. American Davis Thompson secured his first PGA TOUR title by four strokes with a 64.

England's Aaron Rai, whose roots trace back to India, finished T-7 with rounds of 65-63-66-69, ending 21-under and three behind Thompson. Korea's Sungjae Im finished tied for 12th place after a 64, while Pan's compatriot, Kevin Yu, secured a share of 20th place with a 67.

Pan, a holder of one PGA TOUR title, expressed excitement about his fourth Open start at Royal Troon in two weeks. He remarked on the hectic last-minute travel arrangements but looked forward to the trip with his wife. This is Pan's second top-3 finish this season, following a T3 at the Mexico Open at Vidanta in February. He moved up to 83rd in the latest FedExCup standings, from 116th, aiming for the top 70 to qualify for the Playoffs next month.

Importantly, his return to top form boosts his confidence as he prepares for the Paris Olympics in August, where he aims to build on his bronze medal win in Tokyo. Alongside Pan, the other tied second finishes were shared by Michael Thorbjornsen and amateur Luke Clanton at 24-under. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)