Ian Woosnam resigned himself today to the fact that next week will see him miss the British Open championship for the first time since 1981 – back in the days when he used to travel the European tour in a van eating tins of beans.
The former world number one’s only hope of qualifying for Royal Troon was to be the leading non-exempt player in the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.
But a third-round 68 this morning was not enough to re-ignite those hopes after he had survived the halfway cut with nothing to spare at level par.
“Never mind the Open - it’s just nice to play well again,” said the 46-year-old. “That felt brilliant – I could have shot 60, but missed so many chances.”
Woosnam came through the final qualifying competition in a play-off in Kent last year, but that option was not open to him this time after he elected to try to grab a place via the new international qualifying competition held at Sunningdale 12 days ago.
With Bernhard Langer, Jesper Parnevik and Justin Rose among those already out of the Troon field Woosnam and Jose Maria Olazabal were other star names looking likely to miss out.
Olazabal was not quite out of the running after he went to the turn in 32 to stand five under, two better than Woosnam, but he was still four adrift of overnight leader Gregory Havret, one of a bunch of players chasing that Open spot.
It might have been all so different for Woosnam, of course, if his caddie at the time had not let him tee-off in the final round at Lytham three years ago with an extra club in his bag.
The Welshman was joint leader when the second driver – he had tried it on the practice range and it had not been removed – was discovered and after receiving a two-stroke penalty he went on to finish third.
Havret, who has yet to play in an Open, was one ahead overnight of Woosnam’s compatriot Phillip Price and England’s David Howell and Ian Poulter. Colin Montgomerie was four behind and defending champion Ernie Els five back.