HALF of one roll of the ball was enough to stand between Ged Furey and the Open Championship at final qualifying at Fairhaven yesterday.

The Pleasington professional was left to rue a missed chance on the 12th hole, when the shot was so close a gust a wind would have forced it over the lip.

The extra stroke forced the 40-year-old, who last qualified for the Open 13 years ago, into a six-way play-off for the last two qualifying places, which he lost when he parred the first hole.

"I missed from six feet for a birdie on the first hole and then I was playing for an alternative place."

After parring the next two holes, Furey birdied the fourth to book the seventh alternative qualifying spot.

"It is very disappointing," he said. "I got away from the course after I'd finished and I got back about an hour before the last groups came in and I was still in.

"It seemed to be the last three or four groups that pushed me out.

"It had been such a long day, I had a five hour wait for the play-off."

In beautiful sunshine, Furey had shot six under to add to his three-under total from Sunday.

"The weather was so good I was expecting a few players to get good scores," he said.

"But I thought this was my year with it being at Lytham especially with the way I have been playing.

"There is one shot that I keep going over in my head. On the 12th, it stopped about half a ball short, right on the lip. It was so close the wind could have blown it in."

The last time Furey qualified was in 1988 -- when the weather was so bad the event was extended to a fifth day -- and he has been close a number of times since.

He said he was beating himself up 'quite a bit' over failing to qualify.

"The more it comes on the TV over the next few days the more it is going to hurt and hit home that I am not there.

"To make things worse I have to go back over there today to register as a reserve just in case. That won't be very enjoyable."

Paul Dwyer shot 72 at Southport & Ainsdale to add to his disappointing 77 from Sunday's qualifying round.

But the Clitheroe-attached pro, who lives in Read, received good news from the European Challenge Tour when he was invited to take part in the Gunther Hamburg Classic in Germany on Thursday.

"I was the only player in the top 20 of the Challenge Tour not to get in in Germany so I knew if there was an invitation going spare I was likely to get it," said the 27-year-old.

"I am going down to Birmingham today to get on a plane and go and get some practice in."

Amateur John Cockroft shot 74 at St Annes Old Links to take his total to a two-over-par 146.

"I was way off in the end," said the Nelson player. "Eight under par played off but it was a good experience."

Burnley pro Simon Eaton shot 71 at St Annes for a total of 146 but said the difference between the best and the rest was not that big.

"They keep it in play and they chip and putt if they miss the green and that's the biggest difference," he said.

"It is not a massive step to go that bit further."

Pleasington-attached Daniel Lord scored 74 for a total of 146 at Southport.

"A score of 139 played off. I was two under after 11, playing quite well then a couple of putts spat back out at me off the lip," said the 27-year-old.

"But that's golf. It's not very kind sometimes."