AMATEUR Darren Henley just failed in a valiant attempt to join Justin Rose in the British Open at Royal Lytham this week.

Stoneham clubman Henley, who won the Hampshire Amateur Championship for a second time last month, was just two shots off the qualifying mark at Southport & Ainsdale yesterday.

He looked well out of contention after a first round 73, but had Lytham in his sights after shooting a four under par 68 second time out.

He was the nearest of the Hampshire hopefuls to join forces with 20-year-old Rose, who was spared the pressure of going through final qualifying after a great start on the European Tour.

When the first five new exemptions were taken after the Volvo PGA Championship, Rose was in fourth place thanks to a couple of runners-up slots in South Africa at the start of the season.

One Hampshire player desperate for a place at Royal Lytham, was Lytham-born Matt Blackey, who had a couple of top ten finishes on the European Tour in April.

The Hayling Islander was trying to qualify at St Anne's Old Links and finished two under par after shooting 73 and 69. But such are the high standards in final qualifying that he missed out by six!

That was two shots better than Salisbury's Gary Emerson whose bid for a sixth Open ended with scores of 71 and 73. Chilworth's Ceb Aby, playing in the final qualifiers for the first time, shot two rounds of 74.

Two amateurs, John Kemp and David Dixon, joined American Ryder Cup ace Jeff Maggert among the qualifiers at St Anne's and over at Fairhaven where ex-Welsh amateur champion Martin Griffiths qualified, Hampshire's Steve Richardson (74,74) was among five European Ryder Cup men who didn't. The list included Cosantino Rocca, runner-up to John Daly at St Andrews five years ago.

Current Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance didn't make it either despite finishing five under at St Anne's. Basingstoke's Scott Watson, looking to qualify for a third year running, was well off the mark with 72 and 78 at Southport & Ainsdale where Hamptworth tournament pro Andy Beal also missed out with rounds 73 and 72.

Hampshire PGA captain Jason Neve carded 75 and 77 at Fairhaven and East Horton's Russell Tate was well down the field at Hillside with 79 and 78.