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Lane books Hoylake spot

27/06/2006

Veteran Barry Lane has ensured he will be competing for The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool golf club next month after shooting successive 68s in the two qualifying rounds at Sunningdale.

The former Ryder Cup star was one of 18 players to secure qualification through to the 135th British Open, to be held this year at Hoylake, after he closed within four shots of the impressive leading pair of South African Louis Oosthuizen and Paraguayan Marco Ruiz.

Lane admitted afterwards, however, that despite his 30 years of tour experience, the nerves were very much jangling as he fought his way round the Old and New Courses.

"I can't believe how nervous I was the last couple of holes," he said. "I've been doing this all my life but I still get a buzz – it means so much to play in the Open."

Others to make the cut include Australian Richard Green, Englishman Sam Little and Welshman Mark Pilkington, all of whom ended on 135.

Brits Simon Wakefield, Lee Slattery, Jamie Donaldson and Phillip Price, another ex Ryder Cup hero, made the grade, as did Spaniard Carlos Rodiles, Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen, Swede Peter Hedblom and Australian Brett Rumford.

Six players were forced to compete in a qualification play-off after closing on 138, in which English pair Simon Dyson and Robert Rock, plus Richard Sterne of South African and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell eventually prevailed.

Darren Fichardt, another South African, plus Italian Alessandro Tadini and England's James Hepworth all suffered heartbreak.

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