Qualifying is Open to question

Once it was the biggest bargain in golf; final qualifying of the Open, where almost 400 golfers would take to the fairways on four courses near the championship course.

Once it was the biggest bargain in golf; final qualifying of the Open, where almost 400 golfers would take to the fairways on four courses near the championship course.

Held on a Sunday and Monday, the qualifiers were the traditional curtain-raiser to the Open week and represented a golden chance for locals and devotees to see golfing heavyweights at absolutely no charge, a rare generosity in the modern world of sport.

Last year the rough of the Prince's course, adjacent to Royal St George's, was trampled down by the crowds who saw Ian Woosnam scrape through. Before that Sam Torrance, then Europe's Ryder Cup captain, exited in disgruntled fashion, complaining that the lack of ropes and stewards made it almost impossible to maintain his focus. Mark James, Torrance's Ryder Cup predecessor, even claimed that one over-eager supporter picked up his ball.

They need worry no longer, because this year's final qualifying has changed beyond recognition. Now it will be contested on the Saturday and Sunday and any fans that do venture out today to one of Irvine, Glasgow Gailes, Turnberry Kintyre or Western Gailes, the four qualifying courses, will struggle to find a name they recognise.

The biggest draws among the 384 aspirants who will fight it out for 14 places at Troon are the European Tour winners Costantino Rocca and Greg Owen. But even they may not turn up. Rocca has been playing in this week's Scottish Open and Owen is still recovering from back surgery to repair a burst disc.

Indeed, barring that injury Owen would have entered the British leg of the new international final qualifying system that was held at Sunningdale in June, just like 120 of his European Tour colleagues, who slugged it out for 17 spots. The rule that they can enter international or local final qualifying but not both has lead to a dilution of talent in Ayrshire today and tomorrow, but there will still be plenty to interest.

Among the field will be James Conteh, son of the former world boxing champion John, as well as two Ghanaians and a Kenyan who also survived from a field of around 1,600 which set out in the regional qualifiers last Monday. John Kemp, a leading amateur and a veteran of final qualifiers having gone through twice in the past three years, spoke for all the competitors in saying: "It's a long shot, with just about one in 30 of us getting through, but at least Woosie's not around to stop us this year."