DAVE Horsey will carry local hopes into The Open at Royal Birkdale next week.

The 32-year-old from Alderley Edge, who is attached to Styal Golf Club and is a member of Wilmslow Golf Club, is set for his second appearance in the ‘major’ he would most like to win.

Two fellow Wilmslow members, Richard Finch, 40, and Styal’s Jacob Oakley, 19, reached Final Qualifying but did not progress.

Horsey, a four-time European Tour winner, last featured in 2008 when the uncompromising Southport links course last staged one of world golf’s most prestigious championships.

As the Claret Jug awaits the winner from a field of the sport’s elite, Horsey, currently 86th on the Race to Dubai ladder and ranked 124th in the world, heads to the coast with some decent form under his belt.

He tied second at the Lyoness Open in Austria last month and was seventh at the Rocco Forte Open in Sicily three weeks earlier.

His place in the Open was booked when he tied second in the Turkish Airlines Open last year, his biggest pay day to date as he climbed into Europe’s top 30 golfers.

Telling readers of davehorsey.golf that The Open is his ‘big one’, he added: “It’s just what most players try to peak for.

“Always a very busy week, so keeping fresh and ready for the Thursday is always a challenge.

“I try not to treat it any differently to any other event, as you should always try and keep consistency in your preparation.”

Stockport-born Horsey, a keen Manchester United fan, was 67th on his last appearance nine years ago.

Career highlights since turning professional are his quartet of European Tour triumphs – the 2010 BMW International Open in Germany, the 2011 Hassan Trophy in Morocco, the 2014 Russian Open and 2015 Made in Denmark tournament.

Before joining the paid ranks he was the 2005 Greek Amateur Championship winner and runner-up in the 2004 English Amateur Championship, while he represented Great Britain and Ireland at the Walker Cup alongside high-profile Rory McIlroy and Danny Willett at Royal County Down in 2007 prior to turning pro.

It was in his first full season on the Challenge Tour in 2008, when he recorded victories at the Telenet Trophy and the AGF-Allianz EurOpen de Lyon along with seven other top-10 finishes, that he not only qualified for his first ‘major’ at Royal Birkdale but ended the year on top of the rankings to graduate to the European Tour for 2009 and has been a mainstay ever since.

Horsey, who enjoyed his highest Order of Merit finish in 29th last year, was also a member of the successful Great Britain and Ireland team which retained the Seve Vivendi Trophy in 2011.