FRUSTRATED Martyn Thompson admitted an error in club selection cost him his Open chance after he suffered a triple bogey final-hole nightmare.

Thompson was one of a number of local players who agonisingly missed out by one shot on a place in final qualifying for The Open Championship.

Regional qualifying was held at Ferndown Golf Club on Monday and former Bournemouth Alliance captain Michael Watson fired a round of 68 to move a step closer to competing in the showpiece tournament.

But Parkstone professional Thompson will not be joining him after his chances were ended by a shock triple bogey.

Having played steadily throughout his round, Thompson looked on course to progress to final qualifying in Scotland next week.

But he opted for a driver off the 18th tee and fired his shot out of bounds before missing a four-foot putt to end with a seven and a round of 72.

Experienced Thompson, who had been bidding to add to his two previous Open appearances, said: “It was a very cruel end to a controlled round of golf.

“I played beautifully for 17 holes and was totally in control. I tried to make sure I went round in two or three under par, which I did until the final hole.”

He added: “Sometimes, that’s what pressure does and you make some funny errors of judgement. In hindsight, it definitely wasn’t the right club decision.”

Parkstone’s Tom Peacock also finished on 72, as did Kevin Garwood of host club Ferndown.

Watson, meanwhile, will fly to Scotland next week in a bid to reach The Open. The 40-year-old will be joined north of the border by Wessex Golf Centre colleague Jon Bevan for local final qualifying on Tuesday. Watson and Bevan will both be vying for an Open spot at the Kingsbarns Links qualifier.