Martin Dempster: Open qualifying quitters must be punished

Many dropped out of qualifying for the Open, held this year at Royal Troon, after a poor first round. Picture: PA

I t's time for the R&A to get tough with players who '¨fail to go the full distance in final qualifying for the Open '¨Championship. On the evidence of last week's event at Gailes Links, occurrences of competitors pulling out has reached the point where some sort of action is required.

Take the situation one hopeful found himself in, for example. One of his playing partners decided not to head out for the afternoon round before the other pulled out during the second round. It left that  individual having to join up  with someone from the group in front for his final six holes, ending up with five signatures on his card over the two rounds.

Most of those who withdraw, of course, cite injuries and, in some cases, that is indeed the case. Too many, however, are simply based on the fact their chances of progressing have been harmed by a poor first round. There’s no fine system in place for players not completing the 36 holes and that is unlikely to change. However, it would be a deterrent, surely, if players knew that if they pulled out without good reason – ie an obvious injury – then they’d be prohibited from entering the scramble the following year. Just a thought.