Crowd concerns for Van de Velde

Jean Van de Velde kept alive his hopes of returning to the Open Championship with a two-under-par 70 in final qualifying at Hillside today – and was then promised protection for the second round.

The 42-year-old Frenchman, who has played only three Opens since his unforgettable last-hole collapse at Carnoustie in 1999, complained about the absence of crowd control.