FORMER Rovers striker Roy Wegerle has swapped his football boots for golf spikes and will tee off alongside the likes of Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Shaw Hill's Nick Dougherty in the Dunhill Championship in Johannesburg tomorrow.

Wegerle, who appeared in the final stages of the World Cup for the United States in 1994 and 1998, came through qualifying for the £500,000 European Tour event yesterday.

The 37-year-old, who was born in nearby Pretoria but qualified to play for the USA through his wife, fired a four-under-par 68 to finish joint third at Zwartkop Country Club, one of the two qualifying courses.

A total of 119 players were fighting it out for just eight places at Zwartkop, with former British Amateur champion Graeme Storm one of nine players qualifying at Centurion Country Club from a field of 127.

Wegerle, who narrowly failed to qualify for the South African Open in Durban last week, played for Chelsea, Luton, QPR, Blackburn and Coventry during his career in England, and also for the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

He made 230 league appearances in total, with his most successful spell coming at Loftus Road between December 1989 and March 1992 when he scored 29 goals in 75 games.

Former Rovers boss Roy Hodgson is being linked with the vacant manager's post at Pride Park with Derby County believed to be interested in pairing him with striker Fabrizio Ravanelli, who may be offered a player-coaching role.