Athlone amateur Colm Moriarty saw his Open dreams smashed in final qualifying at North Berwick yesterday as Ireland's 11 hopefuls were sent packing.

Despite his opening 63, Moriarty crashed to a four over par 75 to miss the final qualifying place by two shots.

"I three-putted the first and didn't get up and down for par at the fourth and then went in the hazard (for a double bogey) at the seventh," said Moriarty.

Headfort's Brendan McGovern was three adrift with David Higgins on level and DJ Mark Murphy (two over) also missing out.

At Dunbar, new sensation Graeme McDowell missed by out seven shots after rounds two rounds of 72 while Warrenpoint's Paddy Gribben was 10 off the mark on five over.

It was the same story at Gullane No 1 where Cork's Padraig Dooley took two shots too many, despite a three under par 68 left him on four under.

Dubliner Stephen Browne was seven adrift on one under with Eamonn Brady well out of it on four over.

The mark was four under at Luffness New where Waterford's Gavin McNeill (seven over) and Killarney's Danny Sugrue (11 over) were also making an early exit.

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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