Montgomerie extends run of Opens with 62 in qualifying

Needing a second-round 65 just to be in a play-off at the 36-hole qualifying event, the 46-year-old, now ranked 365th in the world, went three better and finished joint second with fellow Scot Andrew Coltart on nine under par.

With 96 players battling for 10 places, they finished two behind Shane Lowry, the 23-year-old who won last year's Irish Open as an amateur.

Lowry scored a course record-equalling 62 on the Old but Montgomerie's round came on by far the tougher of the two lay-outs.

The eight-time European No 1 has not missed an Open since his debut at the Home of Golf in 1990 and realised it was probably his last chance to play another championship there.

The 10th spot went to Marcel Siem, the German who led the Wales Open with a round to go, with a birdie at the first extra hole.

Welshman Jamie Donaldson, Dubliner Peter Lawrie, France's Gregory Bourdy and Swede Patrik Sjoland failed to match him.

The Yorkshire trio of Danny Willett, Richard Finch and John Parry also all failed to qualify.

Their two-round totals – Willett on three under, Parry one under and Finch level par – were respectable but, with scoring conditions yesterday at Sunningdale benign, were never going to be enough.

Rotherham's Willett had given himself a chance by shooting 67 in the morning round, a shot ahead of Hull's Finch and Harrogate's Parry, but he could not capitalise and added a 70 over the New course in the afternoon.

Parry added a 71 on the New and Finch a 72 on the Old.

They still have a chance of joining Malton's Simon Dyson at St Andrews, but will need to be the highest-placed finisher not already exempt in the top five at either the French or Scottish Opens.

Justin Rose, who was sixth in the world two years ago, has moved back up to 33rd in the world rankings following his maiden victory in the United States, at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio.

Rose won by three shots after carding a final-round 66.

Catterick's Jodi Ewart, 22, finished fifth in her first event as a professional on the US Futures Tour.

The former Curtis Cup player hopes to win enough money on the supplementary circuit to qualify for next year's LPGA Tour.