Ryder Cup player Paul McGinley crashed out of the Open yesterday and announced - It's back to the practice ground.

The Dubliner carded a disappointing 74 to finish on four over par and miss the cut for the fifth time in ten appearances.

"I didn't play well enough. My bad shots got severely punished in the rough like everybody," he said.

One over par starting the day he took a double bogey six at the opening hole and never really looked like qualifying.

"On the first I hit it 40 yards off line and that's what you have to expect when you are 40 yards left of the fairway. I had to take a penalty drop because the ball was unplayable and that was the start."

McGinley birdied the second and the par five fifth to get himself back in the championship but bogeys at the eighth, 13th and 15th left him out in the cold.

"I battled as hard as I could," he said. "I battled but the quality of golf wasn't good enough and that's the bottom line. Too many fairways missed and not enough irons shots close to the pin. I didn't give myself opportunities.

"There's not a lot positive I can take from this. I've performed poorly and it's a disappointing week."

The Dubliner hit just eight fairways and 10 greens yesterday and couldn't putt his way out of trouble when he needed it most.

Now he'll be back with coach Pete Cowen for more work as he bids to get back to his best in time for the Ryder Cup.

"I'm working on my game but I'm not producing on the golf course. But I'll be okay. On the back nine I thought I had a chance to hold on but I kept missing fairways and if you hit it in the heavy rough here you've got no chance."

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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