Magical finish books Waring’s Open ticket

Jul 1 2008 by Richard Williamson, Liverpool Daily Post

PAUL WARING conjured up a magical finish to book his place in the Open Championship for the second year in succession.

The Bromborough golfer, who earned a place at Carnoustie as an amateur last year, delivered a birdie-eagle finish at the European qualifier to make the cut by just one shot.

The former English amateur champion, in his rookie year on the European Tour, was in danger of missing out at Sunningdale with just two of his 36 holes remaining.

But he produced a birdie at the 17th and then rolled in a 45-foot putt for an eagle on the last to join the 17 other qualifiers from 120 starters after rounds of 68 67 for a five under par total.

Waring, first out on the course with former Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal, had started the day well with three successive birdies from the second but by the 10th was back to level par. He had birdies at 14 and 16 to put himself in with a chance at halfway.

However the second round started with four bogeys in the first 10 holes, offset by just one birdie. Waring’s late surge started immediately with a run of three birdies from the 11th before his spectacular finish.

Those making the starting line-up for Royal Birkdale on July 17 include Waring’s former Cheshire county colleague David Horsey and Birchwood’s Phillip Archer, who last month had rounds of 69,69 to make the field for the US Open at Torrey Pines.

This time the Warrington golfer, who is 83rd on the European Order of Merit, produced rounds of 67,68 to also finish at five under par 135 alongside Horsey, who shot 68, 67.

But Archer, too, needed a strong back nine to make the Open.

In his first round he had finished birdie, eagle but his chances of making Birkdale looked doomed by two bogeys on the front nine. He started his fightback with birdies at 11 and 14 before picking up shots on each of the final two holes.

Formby Hall’s Lee Slattery missed out after rounds of 69, 69 saw him finish at two under.

Meanwhile Olazabal was knocked out of the qualifier at the third play-off hole at and is now set to take another lengthy break from golf.

Having teed off at 6.30am alongside Waring, the double Masters winner, third at St Andrews behind Tiger Woods and Colin Montgomerie only three years ago, bogeyed to lose to England’s Simon Dyson and Peter Baker at 8.50pm.

Former Ryder Cup player Baker, now 40, had holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the last to get into the sudden-death shoot-out. Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley, Olazabal’s Ryder Cup team-mates two years ago, failed to make it through as well, but will now try to make it to Royal Birkdale by finishing in the top five either at this week’s European Open or next week’s Scottish Open.

The Spaniard, who hit back from an opening 71 with a second-round 65, is still struggling with fatigue after returning in March from seven months out with rheumatism. His last appearance just over a month ago saw him miss the cut in the BMW PGA Championship for the first time in his career and he said: “I’m going home to take a rest and see if everything keeps improving.

“Because it’s The Open it was a good reason to come, but it was basically a test for me. I haven’t played at all and can’t practise much, so I wasn’t really expecting great things. The doctors have taken one of my medicines away, but we have to do this gradually to see if I improve.

“It’s going to take two months at least to see if my body is cured. I feel like practising, but I just get tired and can’t hit balls and play 18 holes in the same day. But at least my lower back is not getting as tight as it did before and that’s positive.”

Olazabal was exempt for Carnoustie last year, but pulled out because of a knee injury. He also did not make it through Sunningdale in 2005, but on that occasion Seve Ballesteros’ withdrawal brought him into the field off the world rankings.

“That won’t happen again,” he commented. His world ranking is down to 200th.

Clarke, who shot 74-70 to miss by eight, commented: “I’m obviously bitterly disappointed, but in fairness I got what I deserved.”

The Ulsterman, runner-up to Justin Leonard at Troon in 1997, added: “I can’t moan about anything. I tried as hard as I could. I have not given up the ghost, but I’ve got to find a bit of game.”

Best of the 18 qualifiers were England’s Simon Wakefield and Argentina’s Ariel Canete on seven under. Other British qualifiers were Ross Fisher and Anthony Wall.