Four Irish in Open line-up
None of our fourteen players contending for places in the qualifying rounds at four different venues yesterday came through what turned out to be a very daunting exercise only seven survived at each of the courses.
That leaves Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Gary Murphy to carry our hopes into a championship offering a record stg£700,000 to the winner, with £8,700 going to the worst-placed player who qualifies into the weekend and even £2,000 for the man finishing 156th and last.
