JUSTIN Rose's bid for glory in the 130th Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes fell away over the weekend.

However, the young golfer showed the thousands of spectators that he has the game to be a serious contender for this title in the future.

After making the cut, things never really happened for the Hook-based golfer on the final two days over the Lancashire links.

He shot 74 and a closing 70 to end with a 72-hole total of 284, one over par.

A total of five birdies at holes one, six, seven, 11 and 15 - and four bogeys including a triple at the fifth - saw Rose card his second sub-par round of the Open and finish joint 30th.

That final round mixture was the epitomy of his mixed tournament and hot and cold putter, but with time on his side - Lytham was only his third Open - the 20-year-old will no doubt have the opportunities to better his remarkable fourth place finish at Royal Birkdale in 1998.

After his opening round of 69, two-under par, left him joint fifth, Friday saw Rose make a bad start - a bogey on the first the result of a three putt from 30 feet - something he admitted he never really recovered from.

A bogey at the fifth was followed by successive birdies at six and seven to get Rose back to two-under, but he was unable to scale the heights of the three-under he reached the previous day.

Out in 36, making a four on every hole, Rose birdied 10 from three feet after a superb, soft wedge approach, and he then parred the next seven holes playing very steadily, including a superb 16 feet save at 14 and a beautiful approach into the 467-yard 17th, the birdie chance narrowly slipping by.

A horror drive on 18 left him in the right hand rough but, fortunately, he had found the spectator's walkway and was able to play out, securing a bogey "when it could easily have been a seven plus and him out of the Open," said his father, Ken.

Rose (pictured right) was in good spirits after his 72 secured his place, although he told The Gazette: "I didn't play well today. After bogeying the first I never felt comfortable.

"I made a lot of good saves but I never really gave myself a chance today. I needed to hit my irons closer. "It was the par threes that cost me - three dropped shots and they weren't particularly difficult - but my par putt at 14 kept my momentum going.

"To give myself a chance over the weekend I'll be working on my putting and irons, keeping my swing keys simple and getting the timing right."

Despite that practice, however, he was unable to mount a challenge on "moving day Saturday," carding a three-over-par 74 in a round where the trusty old putter he used at Birkdale in 1998 - "the one I use when I need a boost" - let him down.

In the opening seven holes, Rose missed three putts from between five and three feet and never looked comfortable over that length, despite a birdie on six from three feet - even after a spectator's mobile phone rang and the owner answered it just as Rose was about to putt.

But in the most open Open for years, Rose showed that he was worthy of his exemption place, and, in front of family, friends and fans, proved that it's a case of watch this space.