MARTYN Thompson will go in pursuit of his third Open championship appearance wishing that the R&A hadn’t changed the rules that he claims have made “a nonsense” of the final qualifying stage.

The 41-year-old Parkstone professional qualified for next week’s ‘local qualifying stage’ in Kent after progressing from the regional competition at Ferndown yesterday.

He was one of 16 players to qualify from the Dorset course, and will now join around 400 others playing for just 12 spots available for the main event at Royal St George’s next month (July 14-17).

“In my opinion the R&A has made a nonsense of the qualifying process,” said Thompson, who qualified with a two-under-par 69.

“There are too many exemptions for foreign players which makes it harder for home-based professionals to qualify.

“I believe it was a much better competition five years ago when there were 48 players going through from the four final qualifying courses, now there are just 12.

“It has spoilt the Open as an open competition in my opinion,” added Thompson, who qualified for the 1995 and 1999 tournaments at St Andrews and Carnoustie respectively.

Thompson will discover this morning which of the four venues – Littlestone, Prince’s, Royal Cinque Ports or Rye – he will play his 36-hole qualifer next Tuesday (June 28).

Despite the restrictions in qualifying, Thompson remained upbeat about his chances. “I have finished in the top three before against much better competition than I will face next week, so I know I am still capable,” he told the Echo.

“But for a lot of other players they don’t see the point in entering when there are so few places left to play for, which is a shame.”

When Thompson qualified third at Downfield in 1999, he finished above Paul Lawrie who struggled to get one of the 12 places up for grabs.

Lawrie went on to win a four-hole play-off with American Justin Leonard and hapless Frenchman Jean Van de Velde who threw away a three-shot advantage at the final hole by trying to play out of a burn.

Thompson, who played all four days in 1999, is looking to add an Open appearance on his Parkstone Golf Club CV.

“I believe I have still got one more in me,” said Thompson. “I have represented both my other clubs (Dudsbury and Canford Magna) as a professional in an Open, so it would be nice to do it with Parkstone.”

Thompson was one of six players to card 69 at Ferndown yesterday, with Burnham & Berrow’s Lee Corfield carding the lowest score of 65.