NORTH Yorkshire's Simon Dyson blasted his way back into the reckoning for the business end of The Open after an up and down second round.

The supreme test that has been posted by the heat-singed Royal Liverpool course in Hoylake sternly examined the composure and guile of the 28-year-old appearing in his fifth Open championship.

Dyson finished with a creditable three-over 69, which, added to his two-over first-day 74, gave him a mid-way total one-under-par total of 143, which ensured he just finished inside the cut of par.

It was a round of contrasts as high and low as the burnished contours of the links course on the Wirral peninsula. Dyson logged no fewer than six birdies superbly supplemented by an eagle on the 528-yard par five fifth hole. But it was not all par-blasting joy for the Malton and Norton ace as he suffered five dropped shots.

The roller-coaster nature of the round was underway within the first three holes, Dyson opening with birdies on one and three, but sandwiched in between was a dropped shot on the second. Dyson hoisted his score with a magnificent eagle three at five before a bogey on eight left him with a first nine score of 33.

If anything the inward nine soared and dipped with even more fluctuation with four birdies on holes 10, 11, 15 and 16 marred by bogeys on 12, 14 and the par-five last.

His reward is a 9.35am start today alongside veteran American Fred Funk.

Selby GC professional Nick Ludwell will not be joining Dyson for the last two rounds this weekend.

He shot a 76 to add to his opening 75 for a two round total of 141 - seven-over par.

Ludwell, who was among a group of the later starters, started in fine form, reeling off par golf throughout the opening nine holes. When he picked up birdies at the 10th and 12th holes he gave himself a chance of making the cut.

But it all turned sour when he dropped a stroke at the 456-yard 14th where he suffered a triple bogey on Thursday. Sadly his round collapsed over the last two holes, carding a double bogey on the 17th and then needed eight shots to complete his round on the final hole.

Apart from that last hole eight and the seven on hole 14 the previous day former Brayton School student Ludwell performed well.

He was certainly in good company on seven-over - the score was also recorded by former champion Seve Ballesteros and the flamboyant English star, Ian Poulter.

The cut was not decided until almost 9pm - and when it fell at one under Ryder Cup heroes Paul McGinley and Phillip Price were added to the list of the notables like Colin Montgomerie, Padraig Harrington, Vijay Singh, Fred Couples, Tom Lehman and Sandy Lyle, who missed out.