SUNNINGDALE, England (AP) -- Graeme McDowell won a seven-man playoff on Tuesday to claim a spot in next month's British Open.
Northern Ireland's McDowell, who finished tied for 11th at last year's British Open, will start at Royal Liverpool on July 20, along with Englishmen Simon Dyson and Robert Rock, and South Africa's Richard Sterne, who clinched the other three spots in the marathon eight-hole extra session.
The seven players had made the playoff by shooting a two-round total of 2-under 138, six shots behind leaders Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa and Marco Ruiz of Paraguay, at the Old and New Courses at Sunningdale Golf Club near London.
A 90-minute rain delay Monday night postponed the playoff, with players returning Tuesday morning to fight it out for the last four qualifying spots.
Darren Fichardt of South Africa double-bogeyed the first hole while Italian Alessandro Tadini had a bogey to reduce the field to five.
McDowell and Sterne sank birdie putts on the third extra hole to guarantee qualification.
Rock was the next man through with a birdie on the seventh before Dyson clinched the last spot on the eighth extra hole by sinking a 6-foot birdie putt after England's James Hepworth missed from 25 feet.
Officials decided to award 18 spots into the Open instead of 15 because of a delay in U.S. qualifying caused by the postponed finish of the rain-hit Booz Allen Classic. Just 12 spots will be available in the U.S. qualifying on Tuesday, which has been reduced to one round at Congressional Country Club because of the delays.
The 14 players earning spots on Monday were: Louis Oosthuizen (132), Marco Ruiz (132), Richard Green (135), Sam Little (135), Mark Pilkington (135), Barry Lane (136), Carlos Rodiles (136), Simon Wakefield (136), Soren Kjeldsen (136), Jamie Donaldson (137), Peter Hedblom (137), Brett Rumford (137), Lee Slattery (137) and Phillip Price (137).
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
