ALL but two of the 10 Irish golfers teeing off in the Scottish Open today have one aim in mind. The leading five players, not already qualified, who finish in the 29 at Carnoustie on Saturday night earn a last-minute exemption to next week's British Open.

While Darren Claikc and Padraig Harrington have already booked their places at Royal Lytham and St Anne's, for the others this is their last chance to avoid the pre-qualifying.

"That's the big reason we are all here," said Raymond Burns, who is joined by Des Smyth, David Feherty, Christy O'Connor Jnr, Eamonn Darcy, Ronan Rafferty, Paul McGinley and Francis Howley in seeking an Open spot. The other exempt Irishman, Philip Walton, has taken the week off.

For McGinley, trying to ensure a place in the third major of the year has been a frustrating time. The man who lost out by one shot to Ian Woosnam at the Heineken Classic in February, was £35,000 short of qualifying from this year's ranking list after the Volvo PGA Championship in May. Then he was £15,000 shy of getting in from a cumulative money list taken from the PGA event to last week's Murphy's Irish Open. But instead of the 69 the 29-year-old needed in the last round at Druids Glen, he slumped to a 76.

It was some contrast to his brilliant last round 63 in the French Open the week before. "I had a double and a triple in that round, but for 16 holes I played okay and without them, I would have been right up there," McGinley said. "But golf is like that. The week before I finished with a 63 and was on a high. Last week I finished with a 76 and I was on a down. Overall, I wasn't happy with my swing last week, and the wind didn't help."

At present, McGinley is due to tee off at 7.25 on Sunday morning in the pre-qualifier at St Anne's Old Links and the prospect does not concern him. "I have just missed out twice on getting an exemption for the Open, but the way I look at it, if I don't make it, I'm happy to go and pre-qualify," he said. "I've done it before. I've made it three times out of four as a professional."

Though Feherty won this title at Haggs Castle in 1986, this is the second year at Carnoustie, which has unfortunate memories for Burns. He explained: "I have played here many times, but in the quarter-finals of the British Amateur in `92 I was to up with three to play against Stephen Gallagher and lost at the 19th. I didn't bottle it. He finished birdie, par, par and then I threeputted the first."

Prize money for the tournament, which features newly-crowned Irish Open champion Colin Montgomerie and South African Ernie Els, has been cut from £650,000 to £480,000 because the promoters, CPMA, have failed to come up with a title sponsor for the second year running.

The tournament has suffered since Bell's pulled out in 1994 after a successful run at Gleneagles, and since Sky TV took over coverage of the event from BBC TV. CPMA has now sold the title to rival promoters IMG, owned by Mark McCormack.