WITH four survivors from yesterday's final qualifying tournament Des Smyth, David Feherty, Eamonn Darcy and Paul McGinley - Ireland will have seven representatives in the 125th British Open, which starts at Royal Lytham and St Annes tomorrow.

This quartet joins Philip Walton, Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington, who had already earned exemptions into the championship field.

It was a particularly fruitful exercise for Feherty and Smyth in that they have already covered their expenses for the week. The Ulsterman, who has become a convert to the broomhandle putter, shared first place at Formby on 140 - four under par - with American Tim Herron, and they receive £500 each.

Meanwhile Smyth, who has an excellent record in this particular exercise, shot a second round of 68 at Southport and Ainsdale for 134 and runner up place behind Scotland's Ross Drummond. This was worth £400 to him. And given that each competitor in the Open receives a minimum of £650 - the minimum for those making the cut is £4,000 the two Irish players are already assured of four figure cheques.

All of which meant that eight colleagues failed, but none of them could claim the misfortune of missing narrowly. Indeed the performances of Ronan Rafferty and Raymond Burns were particularly disappointing, given that both of them added second rounds of 74 at St Annes Old Links.

This quaintly named stretch comprises some of the original Lytham layout, but the course was extensively remodelled after the second World War. On this occasion, it provided Darcy with the opportunity of rediscovering, his renowned competitive instincts in a stunning, eagle birdie finish to a round of 69.

Despite the bonus of a 66 on Sunday, he appeared to be in some trouble when successive bogeys at the 12th and 13th left him only one under for the round at that stage. This was especially disappointing in the light of an eagle three at the 520 yard sixth, which he reduced to a drive, six iron and 12 foot putt.

"I really began to panic when I bogeyed the 15th," he admitted afterwards. But his response was admirable. A huge drive down the 550 yard 17th was followed by a majestic four iron to four feet for the second eagle of his round. And he finished the job with another long drive at the 493 yard 18th, where he needed only a nine iron to set up a two putt birdie from 15 feet.

"Had it not been a qualifying competition, I reckon I could have been 12 under, but I felt I had to try and protect my score," he said.

By comparison, Smyth's progress was quietly efficient. "Lovely," was the Drogheda man's reaction to his prominent position after a round that contained five birdies and a solitary blemish at the 397 yard 15th, which he three putted for a bogey.

He also three putted the long seventh, but escaped with a par having reached the green with a six iron second shot. Otherwise it was tidy work. Smyth chipped and putted the long ninth and long 16th for birdies and got up and down to save par at the 11th. "I played really nicely and have no complaints," he said.

Feherty, competing on the testing Formby links, reaped a rich dividend from his first serious exercise with the long putter. One concluded that he had been having slight problems with the blade when he said: "My putting all year had been appalling, dreadful, catastrophic. So Sam (Torrance) lent me a broomhandle putter last week."

He went on: "I used it on Saturday at Carnoustie, and though I shot 82, I felt my putting coming back. Now, after two more rounds here, my putting has been a revelation. I feel I can hole it from anywhere."

There were seven birdies on his card, which was just as well, given the miserable start of a double bogey at the first, where he missed the green and took two to get on from a terrible lie. Though he was delighted with the quality of his putting, there were also some brilliant iron shots. Still, a 40 foot birdie putt found the target at the 14th and he holed from 12 feet at the 12th.

McGinley, on the other hand, had a tale of woe from the greens after a round of 72 at St Annes Old Links caused him some anxiety. "I didn't play much differently to Sunday, except that the putts didn't drop," he said.

As for Christy O'Connor Jnr: given his discomfiture before and after a 69 on Sunday, it came as no great surprise that he was forced to withdraw during yesterday's round. "The pain in both my elbows was so bad I couldn't go on," he said dejectedly.

Meanwhile, free from the strain of qualifying, Harrington was on the practice ground yesterday, with his coach, Howard Bennett. And to continue with remedial work in quieter surroundings, he spent the afternoon at St Annes Old Links.

"My grip had become too strong - it's an old habit," he explained. "My natural tendency was to compensate, but I overdid it with the result that everything was going right. Now that Howard has straightened me out, I feel more confident about my prospects."

Regarding the experience of playing in his first British Open, he went on: "I can't believe all these people around on practice days. It makes me all the more determined to make the cut."

It will be his fifth appearance here, though the four previous occasions were as an amateur in the Lytham Trophy, in which he never shot better than 71.

Clarke was also seeking help. First to his assistance was his coach, Bill Ferguson, hut it was a tip from David Leadbetter which sorted out a putting problem that had been bothering him. "He noticed my address position wasn't right, and now that I've sorted it out, I feel much more comfortable over the ball," he said.

Walton arrived here last night.