ROB Spence endured a difficult day as his bid to qualify for the Open Championship came up short.

The Furness Golf Club player – who will celebrate his 37th birthday on the Saturday of this year's Open at Royal Birkdale – was unable to build on a good start in final qualifying Gailes, near Glasgow.

After going into an early share of the lead at one-under following a birdie at the first hole, Spence dropped four shots in three holes between the fourth and sixth to fall back to three-over.

He pulled a shot back with a birdie at the ninth and, had he been able to maintain that position, he would have been in a good place at the end of the first round as most of the 72-string field struggled.

But it was not to be, and five dropped shots on the back-nine saw him card a seven-over total of 78.

Out of contention – with the leaders all under-par – Spence, in his third shot at final qualifying, did start well in round two with a birdie.

There were three more in the second round, but six bogeys and a double saw him record 75 for an overall score of 11-over and a tie for 52nd place.

Scottish amateur Connor Syme and American Julian Suri both qualified on four-under, while Australian Ryan McCarthy won a four-man play-off for the third spot after finishing on two-under.