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Last Updated: Tuesday, 28 June, 2005, 08:20 GMT 09:20 UK
Woosnam secures place at The Open
OPEN QUALIFIERS - UK
Ian Woosnam
Peter Lawrie
Simon Khan
John Bickerton
Robert Coles
Simon Dyson
Marcus Fraser
Andrew Oldcorn
Peter Baker
Ian Woosnam
Alastair Forsyth
Robert Rock
Patrik Sjoland
Andrew Butterfield
Kenneth Ferrie
Ian Woosnam qualified for The Open with a single stroke to spare after a tense qualifying tournament at Sunningdale.

Europe's Ryder Cup captain, one of 120 players competing for only 14 places at St Andrews in two weeks' time, shot rounds of 66 and 68 to reach six under.

Simon Khan, Simon Dyson, Peter Baker and Peter Lawrie were among the other players who qualified.

Jose Maria Olazabal, Nick Dougherty and Brian Davis missed out, while Kenneth Ferrie made it after a play-off.

The 26-year-old sunk a 40-foot birdie putt at the first extra hole on Tuesday morning to beat English compatriots David Geall and Tom Whitehouse, Swede Henrik Stenson and Frenchman Jean-Francois Lucquin to the last St Andrews berth on offer at Sunningdale.

Woosnam, 47, was made to sweat when he missed a four-foot putt and bogeyed the last as the light fell at 2130.

But it turned out that he was safe to contest the year's third major.

Now I've just got to get the right amount of clubs in the bag
Ian Woosnam

Olazabal was forced to hire a private jet to get to Sunningdale after the French Open was delayed until late on Sunday.

A year ago Olazabal missed out on a play-off for a place at Royal Troon by two strokes after rounds of 71 and 68.

The former Ryder Cup star was among 49 players at Le Golf National on Sunday for whom travelling on to England became a problem.

He finished joint eighth, not enough to earn him one of the two Open exempt spots on offer - they went to Jean Van de Velde and Soren Hansen in second and third places.

Because of the travel difficulties start times were delayed by two hours.

There are 101 players already exempt for the Open, which has attracted a record entry list of 2,499 players.

American Todd Hamilton is the defending champion, having won last year's title in a dramatic two-way play-off with South Africa's Ernie Els.


WATCH AND LISTEN
Interview: Ian Woosnam


Round-up: European qualifying for the 2005 Open



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