TIME is almost out for Justin Rose in his bid to play in next week's 133rd Open Championship at Troon.

The Hampshire star, despite a scintillating ten-birdie final-round 65 in yesterday's Smurfit European Open, has just this week's Barclays Scottish Open to grab a precious starting berth for golf's oldest major.

Having captured the nation's hearts with a fourth place finish as a teenage amateur in 1998, it is almost inconceivable that Rose will miss out - but that is the stark reality that faces the 23-year-old.

Since finishing a remarkable fifth on his US Open debut last year, Rose's world ranking has fallen back from 38th in June 2003 to outside of the top 50 cut-off point for automatic entry into the majors.

He must now rely on an impressive four days on the banks of Loch Lomond, where the Scottish Open is held, to gain one of the final few passports for Troon.

If previous years are anything to go by, Rose will need to finish somewhere close to the top dozen to be in with a shout of Open qualification - and it is undoubtedly a big ask.

He will, however, be cheered by his last 18 in the Smurfit event, where, had it not been for an EIGHT in the first round and a NINE on the card in round two, he would have been challenging for victory rather than finishing in a tie for 14th on two under.

Although he would probably trade it all and more for a place in the Open, the young Englishman earned 45,000 euros for his efforts, which could prove invaluable if he is to be playing in the Ryder Cup come September.

Retief Goosen cruised to victory in the event and so added the title to the United States Open he captured two weeks ago.

The 35-year-old South African finished five clear of Lee Westwood and Australians Richard Green and Peter O'Malley - the latter grabbing the only available Open berth for a non-exempt player in the process - at the K Club near Dublin on -13 to complete a double which was worth close to £1m. As a result Goosen goes back to the top of the European Order of Merit he won in 2001 and 2002.

Matthew Blackey fired rounds of 69, 73, 77 and 73 for a 44th-place finish.

The Hayling Island player moved up to 114th on the Volvo Order of Merit (the top 115 keep their cards), but will want to forget his seven at the last as a birdie four would have doubled his winnings of 16,500 euros and carried him a further 16 places up the field!

l Stoneham's Richard Bland finished tied for 17th in the latest Challenge Tour event, the Volvo Finnish Open, earning just under 1,300 euros in the process.

The 31-year-old moved up to 39th in the overall standings, but is still some way short of a top-15 position and an automatic passport back on to the European Tour.

He shot rounds of 71, 67 and 72 for a -3 total.

The tournament was won by home amateur Roope Kakko, who won on -11 after a play-off.