Points leads British Open qualifying after 18 holes

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PLANO, Texas -- D.A. Points grabbed the early lead with a 7-under 63 after 18 holes of play at Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, Texas in International Final Qualifying (IFQ) for The 139th Open Championship.

The 6856-yard, par 70 Queens Course at the Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, Texas is hosting the event to determine eight qualifiers from the 78 who began the day. Those successful will advance to the 139th Open

Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland on July 12-18.

Points holds a one stroke lead over Tom Pernice Jr. and Tim Petrovic after the first 18 holes. Points and Petrovic had bogey-free rounds, while Pernice had seven birdies and one bogey.

"My putting was great this morning," said Points. "When I didn't hit a green I chipped it really close which made my morning much easier. On this course you have to be careful off the tee and I did that this morning."

Points has never competed in the British Open and has only played one major championship in his career (2008 U.S. Open/T69). He has 108 starts on the PGA TOUR.

"I still have a lot of work to do to maintain my lead on the next 18 holes," added Points. "It would be a great honor to play my first British Open at St. Andrews."

Pernice has played in the British Open four times in his career. He missed the cut the last three times from 2005-2007 and finished T66 in 1993.

"I hit the ball good today off the tee," said Pernice. "I just have to keep battling in the second 18 holes to get back to St. Andrews."

Petrovic has missed the cut in all three career appearances at the British Open (2002, 2005, 2008).

Bo Van Pelt, who fired a bogey-free 5-under 65 in the morning round, picked up his first PGA TOUR win last year at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee on the same weekend as the British Open.

Van Pelt is trying to get back to the British Open for the first time since 2006 when he missed the cut. His three appearances at the British Open were consecutive starts from 2004-2006.

Aaron Baddeley, Woody Austin, Roland Thatcher and Charley Hoffman were T5 at 4-under 66 after the first 18 holes.

The shot of the morning came from D.J. Trahan (68), who made double-eagle 2 on the par-5, 10th hole. Trahan used a 4-iron from 241 yards to record the rare double-eagle.

Davis Love III, who shot a 1-over 71 in the morning round, has made 23 consecutive starts at the British Open dating back to 1987.

Colombian Manuel Villegas, the younger brother of PGA TOUR player Camilo Villegas, shot 1-under 69 in the morning round. Manuel is trying to qualify for his first British Open. Camilo has played in the British Open the last two seasons (T13/2009 and T39/2008).

This is the seventh time the Open qualifying tournament has been held in the United States although this is the second in Texas.