Lomas set for Royal Birkdale

Former Shropshire golf professional Jonathan Lomas has booked his place in next week's Open Championship.

The 40-year-old, who was attached to Hill Valley and was Shropshire & Herefordshire Open champion in 1992, came through a nerve-jangling play-off at West Lancashire last night to book his place at Royal Birkdale.

Lomas carded rounds of 75 and 72 in final qualifying to finish at three-over-par.

And he held his nerve to take the final slot of the four places on offer at that course in the three-man play-off play-off by parring the third extra hole.

It will Lomas's first Open since appearing at Troon in 1997 - but there was disappointment for Shropshire's five club professionals and amateurs.

Six shots separated Shropshire amateurs Jonathan Gidney and Oliver Farr from a place in next week's Open Championships as final qualifying came to a windswept end yesterday.Blustery conditions at each of the three courses made for extremely high scoring as the remaining Royal Birkdale hopefuls entered a second day of qualifying.

It meant three-over-par scores of 75 at different venues from Gidney and Farr were amongst the best of the day and left them reflecting on what might have been in their pursuit of one of four places on offer for Birkdale at each course.

Church Stretton's Gidney began the day four shots out of a qualifying berth after an opening 74 at Hillside, and moved a step closer with a birdie at the first.

But he was stopped in his tracks with bogeys at the second, third and fifth to see him out in 38.

Further dropped shots came at 13 and 18, but a birdie at 15 ensured a five-over-par total and 13th position for Gidney, who was today heading for Stoke Rochford in an attempt to become the first player to win three successive Midlands Youth Championships.

Ludlow's Farr looked to be out of the reckoning after an opening 78 at West Lancashire, but an excellent first 12 holes brought him back in with an outside chance.

Bogeys at the first and third made for a tricky start, but bridies at six, 11 and 12 saw him soar up the leaderboard as his rivals frittered shots away on the links.

At that point Farr had reached five-over-par - three over ultimately got in a play-off - but dropped shots at 13, 16, 17 and 18 ended his chances.

"It's quite frustrating because I've missed out by six shots and I can easily see where I wasted those," said Farr, who has been invited to play on a Challenge Tour event at the Vale of Glamorgan later this month.

"I lost my cool a little bit in the first round and stumbled to a 78 - that's something I need to learn from."

Shrewsbury amateur Duncan Harris finished tied for 35 at Hillside after he followed up his opening 75 with a respectable 77.

Back at West Lancashire, Patshull Park professional Craig Simmons entered the second day with an outside chance of forcing his way into Birkdale after an opening 75.

But he had three doubles bogeys and seven bogeys as he slipped down to 62nd place following an 84.

And Hill Valley professional Matthew Edwards found the strong winds a real problem as he followed up his 85 with a 92.

Lee Rooke, from the Vale of Llangollen, carded rounds of 83 and 86.