US Open runner-up Erik Compton will make his Open debut at Royal Liverpool.

The 34-year-old, who has had two heart transplants, is invited to compete as one of the 10 highest-ranked non-exempt players in the world rankings.

JB Holmes, KJ Choi, Freddie Jacobson, Charles Howell, Brooks Koepka, Kevin Stadler, Chesson Hadley, Anirban Lahiri and Scott Stallings also qualify for the event, which starts on 13 July.

Scots Marc Warren, Jamie McLeary and Paul McKechnie came through qualifying.

They took the available places at Gailes Links in Ayrshire, Warren finishing on nine under par after rounds of 69 and 64.

McLeary finished on seven under, after a setting a new course record with his opening round of 63.

He followed that up with a 72, while McKechnie shot 72 and 67 to finish three under.

Baguio City — Cyna Rodriguez moved closer to another title on the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour as she fended off Thai Amolkan Phalajivin’s big windup with a late birdie to keep her four-shot lead intact in the second round of the Camp John Hay Ladies Invitational here.

CYNA RODRIGUEZ

Rodriguez birdied the par-5 17th for the second straight day to salvage an even par 69 and remain way ahead at six-under 132 after Phalajivin threatened to within three with an eagle on No. 16 for a similar 69 and a 136.

“I was lucky to hang in there,” said Rodriguez, referring to her poor second shot on No. 17 that rolled onto the green for a two-putt birdie.

“I knew I wouldn’t hit it solid since my timing was off at the range,” said Rodriquez, who shot a bogey-free six-under 63 in the opener but had a rollercoaster round of three birdies against the same number of bogeys on the up-and-down John Hay layout yesterday.

The reigning ICTSI LPGT Order of Merit champion, who romped off with a five-shot victory in this year’s kickoff leg at Orchard last April, also struggled with her putting stroke, making 28 after an impressive 25-putt stint Tuesday.

But those hardly mattered as Phalajivin also groped for putting form all day, missing a couple of birdie putts from close range and needing to sink a seven-foot eagle putt on the 16th to negate her bogeys on Nos. 7 and 15.

“I hit better than yesterday (Tuesday) but the putts didn’t fall in. I can’t get the right breaks,” said Phalajivin, who also flubbed a pin-length birdie putt on No. 17.

Anya Tanpinco, the third player in the featured flight, failed to recover from a bogey-bogey start and reeled with a 73 but remained at third at 142, leaving Rodriguez and Phalajivin to dispute the top P100,000 purse heading to the final 18 holes of the third leg of the eight-stage circuit sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

Sarah Ababa fumbled with a 73 after a 70 and stayed at fourth at 143 while Lovelynn Guioguio rebounded with a 69 after a 75 to improve from seventh to fifth at 144.