Yorkshire's Dean and McCarthy both heading for Open

Hillsborough's Joe Dean tied first in Open final qualifying at Notts (Hollinwell) (Picture: Simon Hulme).

Dean, former English men’s amateur champion, tied for first place at Notts (Hollinwell) while McCarthy was second at Hillside.

After a first-round two-under-par 70, Dean produced an eight-under-par 64 in the afternoon. He carded seven birdies and an eagle with just one bogey.

McCarthy, meanwhile, showed both skill and nerve to achieve a boyhood dream by qualifying for the Open.

He opened with a first-round 66 at Hillside and was heading the pursuit for one of the three places on offer with just two holes to play.

When he pushed his second shot wide at the par-5 17th he thought the crowd would find the ball for him, but it was lost.

The 29-year-old kept a cool head by shedding only a shot – his first of the day – but admits a bit of temper kicked in on the final tee.

“I was a little bit angry, but it kind of helped me,” said McCarthy, who last week rose to ninth in the HotelPlanner.com EuroPro Tour order of merit after closing with a 63 to finish third in the Grenke Championship at Cumberwell Park in Wiltshire. “There was a good crowd walking round so I thought I’d find my second shot at 17, but I ended up losing it and made a good bogey with my second ball.

“On the 18th tee it fired me up a little bit and I took four-iron and ended with 187 yards to go – and then hit probably my best shot of the day. It was downwind and out of the semi-rough and I took nine-iron and put it to about four feet and holed for birdie.”

The final-hole birdie left him on seven under par after adding a one-under 70 to his 66, which ultimately gave him second place behind Delamere Forest’s Haydn McCullen.

“I’m a little bit in shock, I think,” said McCarthy of his achievement. “It’s your dream as a kid to get through and play in the Open and to achieve it is pretty awesome.”

The first Open McCarthy can recall is etched vividly in his memory because he was present as a seven-year-old when America’s John Daly won at St Andrews.

“I was there in the stands,” said McCarthy, who laughed and added: “I especially remember there was a streaker.”

He is on a hot streak himself, with his eight-birdie 63 last Friday not even qualifying as his lowest round of the year.

That was a 62 at Warrington in April, which gave him victory on the day in the 1836 Tour event.