Young's Open dream is dashed (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Young's Open dream is dashed

11:10am Wednesday 4th July 2012 in Sport By Gary York

MARK Young’s dreams of qualifying for this year’s Open Championships ended in heartache yesterday despite coming so close to booking his Royal Lytham and St Annes ticket.

The 30-year-old from Hurst Green was bidding to become the first East Lancashire amateur since Accrington’s Trevor Foster in 1988 to qualify for the Open.

It all looked so promising for the current Lancashire amateur champion at the halfway stage of yesterday’s Local Final Qualifying at St Annes Old Links.

With just the top three making the cut, and an international-packed field of 72 to compete against, Young was tied for joint sixth after his morning round with an excellent three-under 69.

Despite carding a bogey at the par-four fourth, which proved to be his only blemish, the Longridge member rallied to sink birdies on the fifth, ninth, 10th and 14th.

But the county star could not repeat his achievements in his afternoon round, sliding down the St Annes leaderboard with a four-over 76.

Starting on the 10th hole in his second round, Young’s efforts were all but over after a triple-bogey on the 17th, followed by a double bogey on the first hole.

But his card did include birdies on 18 and at the fifth.

Nick Dougherty also missed out after rounds of 70 and 74 left him tied 19th at Southport and Ainsdale - alongside fellow Chorley golfer Mark Bradley, who went round in 73 and 71.

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