TREVOR Foster dragged himself out of his sick bed to put himself within sight of playing in next week's Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes which he briefly led the last time it was staged there in 1988.

The Accrington greenkeeper, who shot a two-under-par 70 in the regional qualifier at Wilmslow, revealed: "I twice had the phone in my hand to call the organisers and ask them to take my name off the starting sheet.

"I'd been laid up with a flu-type virus for five days which left me so weak that I did not feel I would be able to last the course.

"I hit 35 balls on the driving range the previous night and it exhausted me, but Debbie, my wife, suggested I'd nothing to lose if I gave it a whirl.

"I did not think I had a prayer of qualifying, but once I arrived at Wilmslow the adrenalin started pumping and I began to regain my strength."

With a helping hand from his caddie Graham Mitton, a five-handicapper at Accrington, Foster squeezed five birdies out of the Cheshire course.

The most spectacular came at the fourth where, after dumping his drive into a bunker, he landed his next shot 15 feet from the pin and holed the putt.

He tramlined a 30-footer at the 16th and grabbed his final birdie at the next, a par three, from half the distance.

A year ago Foster set the same course alight with a superb 68 to lead the field.

He failed to clear the last hurdle to the Open at St Andrews, but this weekend he has history on his side.

The 36-year-old Lancashire stalwart explained: "The last occasion it was at Royal Lytham, in 1988, I got through by shooting a course record in the qualifier at Blackpool North Shore.

"I'm at St Annes Old Links this time which suits me down to the ground because I like the course and know it better than any of the others.

"I accept it will be harder than in 1988 because the standard is that much higher, but I'll be giving it my best shot."

Foster can recount every minute of his finest hour in golf when his name topped the leaderboard in the first round eight years ago.

As he cut one of the greens at Accrington yesterday, he said: "I holed a 20-foot putt at the ninth and, when I looked up, my name had replaced Sevvy's who had been ahead until then.

"It was like someone putting a chunk of ice on my neck then letting it slide down my back - it was the most spine-tingling moment of my life.

"I'd never had a feeling like it and I walked the next three holes as a 10-foot giant."

Also flying the flag for East Lancashire this weekend will be Wilpshire teaching professional Simon Townend, who got through the regional qualifier at Moortown with a 72.

The former QEGS pupil, who lives in Mellor, will fancy his chances of making it to the Royal Lytham because he's been on a roll since winning the Bradford and Bingley Manx Classic at Castleton last month.

Lancashire player Tony Jackson, a member at Blackburn, edged through after a play-off at Beau Desert.

But there was no Open joy for Pleasington pro Ged Furey who admitted before he started his round at Carlisle that it was not his favourite course.

He blew his chance with a 75 to miss by two shots

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