IT has grown more unlikely that there will be a North-East golfer involved in this month’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool after a frustrating day in final qualifying.

Hexham’s Chris Paisley was the closet of the region’s hopefuls involved in one of the four venues across the country but he narrowly missed out on one of the three spots available at Gailes links.

Paisley finished on one-over in tenth spot but had been sitting tied fifth going in to the final two holes before losing his composure. Morpeth’s Garrick Porteous, Prudhoe’s Thomas Rowland, Darlington’s Simon Calvert and Malton & Norton’s Simon Dyson finished well down at the same Scotland course.

Hartlepool’s European Tour golfer Graeme Storm was best placed at Hillside but he was three-over in tied 19th spot. Hartlepool’s Alex Wrigley, Harrogate’s John Parry and Newcastle’s Alex Dixon were further adrift.

At Sunningdale there was a tied sixth spot for Ashington’s Kenneth Ferrie on three-over. Rockliffe Hall’s James Maw was tied 12th at Woburn despite a decent two-under card.

Now Storm and fellow Tour players Dyson and Robert Dinwiddie must hope for a high finish at either this week’s French Open or next week’s Scottish Open to clinch one of the remaining coveted places in the four day battle for the Claret Jug.