Bladon's Hoylake gamble pays off

Bladon was delighted to make it to Hoylake

Former British amateur champion Warren Bladon will play in the Open next week - thanks to his girlfriend, who paid his £110 entry fee for qualifying.

Bladon, from Leamington Spa, took one of the three Open places up for grabs at the 36-hole competition at Conwy.

He had already come through regional qualifying, but will now line up alongside Tiger Woods at Hoylake.

Bladon, now a part-time plumber, said: "I couldn't afford the entry fee, so my girlfriend put it on her credit card."

Even if Bladon finishes last at Hoylake he will take away a cheque for £2,000 - and should he lift the claret jug, he would be £720,000 richer.

OPEN QUALIFIERS Conwy: Jon Bevan, Warren Bladon, Mikko Ilonen Formby: Jim Payne, Andrew Marshall, Darren Parris Wallasey: Denny Denison, Gary Day, Markus Brier West Lancs: Nick Ludwell, Gary Lockerbie, Adam Frayne

On two under par, he finished alongside 2000 Amateur champion Mikko Ilonen, of Finland, three behind Weymouth professional Jon Bevan.

On his one and only previous appearance in the Open, Bevan shot 81-80 at Carnoustie in 1999.

"That was the hardest course I've ever played and this is the second hardest," he said after a superb six-under-par 66.

Jim Payne, who played with Jack Nicklaus on his way to becoming leading amateur at the 1991 Open, won the qualifier at Formby by one shot from Norfolk's Andrew Marshall and Kent's Darren Parris.

Austrian Markus Brier, who won his home Open exactly a month ago, came in late in the day at Wallasey with a 67 that crushed the hopes of Wentworth amateur Seve Benson.

Brier joined Yorkshire pair Danny Dennison and Gary Day, with 19-year-old Benson missing out by virtue of the 30-foot putt on the last that lipped out of the hole.

Benson, named after the three-time Open champion Ballesteros, spent six hours looking as if he might make it through but will have to try again next year.

Yorkshire's Nick Ludwell, Cumbrian Gary Lockerbie and Cornwall's Adam Frayne took the three spots at West Lancashire, where joint overnight leader Graeme Storm slumped to a 79.

There were three Open places on offer at each of the four two-day qualifiers.

The 135th Open Championship takes place at Royal Liverpool, Hoylake, 20-23 July - Iain Carter hosts a preview show on BBC Radio Five Live on Wednesday 12 July at 2000 BST