A SEVENTH European title offers the only opening for York’s Simon Dyson to make this year’s Open Championship.

Dyson withdrew after just one round of the planned two-round qualifier at Sunningdale yesterday after he posted a four-over-par 74 on the Berkshire-based circuit’s old course.

That effectively took him out of contention of the 96 players bidding for just ten places available to compete in the 142nd Open at Muirfield next month.

That means that the 35-year-old Dyson, whose year has seen a decline in world ranking to fall perilously close out of the leading 200 players – in sharp contrast to a year ago when he was in the top 40, will have to land his seventh European Tour crown over the next three weeks to make the third major of the season.

After his Sunningdale flop Dyson jetted out to County Kildare for the Irish Open which starts this Thursday and which includes a star-studded home field, including Ryder Cup aces and major champions all – Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell.

The week after, it’s a hop to Paris for the Alstom Open and then, from July 11 to July 14, it’s Castle Stuart for the Scottish Open, the penultimate tournament and last chance to win and make the Muirfield extravaganza.

Meanwhile, Harrogate Golf Club’s John Parry unluckily just missed out on the final qualification slot at Sunningdale after he posted impressive rounds of 72 and 67.