running.

At the Royal Lytham course near Blackpool in England, Jones shot a five-over-par 78 in yesterday's lone qualifying round to advance with 53 other qualifiers from the two courses, St. Anne's By the Sea being the other.

Royal Lytham is the course to be used for the British Senior Open which will be held over four days starting tomorrow. Four other local golfers were also trying to qualify for the tournament proper but J.J. Madeiros, Lloyd James, `Bees' Ingham and Frankie Rabain were unsuccessful.

Madeiros was the only Bermudian playing his round at the nearby St Anne's course which is also a par 71. There was a cut-off at 77 but Madeiros could only manage an 82.

James, who missed qualifying for the US Senior Open by a single stroke earlier this month following his best round of golf in five years as a professional in Florida, shot in the 80s yesterday while Ingham, the only amateur in the group, carded an 88 and Rabain a disappointing 90.

The cut for the Royal Lytham course was 80. There were than 100 players from all over the world trying to qualify for the tournament with Arnold Palmer and Gary Player among the big names.

Jones went through the front nine one over par with a birdie and two bogeys.

He says he found the back nine very long and tough, having to play into the wind.

"There were a number of par fives,'' he explained. "If you hit the ball two feet off the fairway you had trouble finding it in the long grass which they let grow and grow. I was driving the ball good but a couple of times I did miss the fairway.'' Jones says the major hurdle of qualifying has been overcome. Now he is hoping to do better than last year by surviving the 36-hole cut at the end of Friday's play.

"That the most important thing, qualifying, and now the pressure is off,'' said an upbeat Jones. "Now I want to make the cut. I feel pretty confident right now.''