JUSTIN Rose re-discovered his best golf yesterday in the final round of the Smurfit European Open.

The north Hampshire star shot a seven-under-par 65 to finish on minus-two for the tournament.

It sent him racing up the leader-board to earn a top-20 placing and repair the damage of his earlier rounds - which were 73 (+1), 76 (+4), 72 (level par).

But it wasn't enough for him to earn a spot in the 133rd Open Championship at Royal Troon, which starts in 10 days time.

Rose was hoping to finish the leading player not otherwise exempt at the K Club, Kildare, Ireland, to gain the Open place that has so far eluded him.

He almost made it at Sunningdale in the International Final Qualifying Europe category last Monday.

Rose led at the halfway stage after a 65 (-6), but a 73 (+1) in the afternoon meant he missed out by a shot.

He headed out to the Smurfit European Open "absolutely gutted" and less than optimistic about his form.

A downbeat Rose said: "What's the point of going there if I can't win it?"

However, he put that behind him to play well and, but for two horrendous holes on Thursday and Friday - he took eight strokes at the 18th and then nine the next day at the fourth - Rose would have achieved his goal.

On the nightmare holes, he said: "I got into trouble but didn't take my medicine and it cost me."

Rose still has one last chance to make the Open.

The 23-year-old will play at Loch Lomond this week but has to win the event to qualify.

Rose jetted back from Ireland yesterday afternoon to his home in Fleet because today he is the guest of honour at a special golf day organised by Basingstoke police to raise money for cancer research.

The Ken Rose Foundation is the charitable trust that will benefit from the money raised and Rose said he is pleased to be able to return and take part.

He will play one hole with each of the teams entered at Weybrook Park over an 18-hole format.

See Friday's Gazette for full coverage and pictures from the day.