Nick Dougherty closing on Open spot

Nick Dougherty admits he will be “gutted” if he is not part of the Open Championship at Carnoustie next month – especially after his brilliant showing in America last week.

But two more days like the last two, and he might have no need to worry any more.

The Liverpool golfer qualified for the US Open, led after the first day at Oakmont and eventually finished joint seventh five strokes behind Angel Cabrera.

But while that earned him a debut in the Masters at Augusta next April, only the winner picks up an Open exemption.

“I’m desperate to be at Carnoustie, not just because of the way I’ve been playing but also because I love the course,” said Dougherty.

He is now at the BMW International Open in Munich, and a second successive 68 today has brought that Open place closer.

At eight under par, Dougherty trailed early halfway leader Peter Hanson by just two as he continued his bid for a victory that would lift him from fourth to first in a mini-Order of Merit from which two spots at Carnoustie will come after next week’s French Open.

What has delighted the 25-year-old so far this week is that he has stayed in the hunt, despite suffering from jet-lag for the first time in his life.

“I didn’t sleep well on the flight back, and last week was not a regular week.” Apart from being in contention for a major for the first time, he played with Tiger Woods for the first time on Saturday – and was exhausted afterwards.

“The only time I’ve ever been congratulated like I have this week is when I won. It really does feel like I won a tournament, the way people have been around me.

“To come out and play two solid rounds like that is extremely pleasing. Arguably we’ve had the tougher half of the draw – it’s been quite breezy on our side.”

Play was halted by a thunderstorm for just over two hours when Dougherty was on the green at the short eighth, his 17th. On his return he sank a 30-foot birdie putt to go into the joint lead. But Hanson, having resumed with a bogey six on the sixth, closed with two birdies for a 66.

The Swede tied with Dougherty for top spot in the US Open qualifier at Walton Heath two weeks ago and went on to finish 30th at Oakmont, underlining the current strength in depth on the European Tour.

“After last week, you get here and you feel like this is wide open – and the greens are really receptive,” commented Hanson, who a year ago was just returning from an inner-ear problem that kept him off the circuit for a month and in bed for a week.

In the clubhouse on seven under were 47-year-old South African David Frost and France’s Christian Cevaer, but because of the delay it was after 4.30pm when the last players teed off.

Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano was on seven under after only four holes, but Ernie Els bogeyed the first and fourth to find himself seven behind.

Among the large group on six under was England’s Paul Casey following a 70. He was hoping for better than that, but his closing par five did have him laughing.

The suspension came after he had hit his drive and during the break Casey practised the three-wood shot he assumed would be his first on the resumption.

“But I failed to notice there was a tree in front of me,” he said. “That was a good 15 minutes spent on the range, wasn’t it? Doh.” Instead he hit a seven-iron lay-up and failed to get up and down.

Playing partner Ian Poulter’s first act on returning to the course was to take a penalty drop from heavy rough right of the fairway. It ended his hopes of surviving the cut, a par five giving him a second successive 73.

Despite his move on to the leaderboard, Dougherty was out-scored on the day by both his partners. Defending champion Henrik Stenson and 49-year-old Bernhard Langer had 66s to improve to five under and two under.