Graeme McDowell booked his place in this month's Open Championship at Carnoustie with rounds of 67 and 74 for a winning nine-under par aggregate in today's 36-hole International Final Qualifying at Sunningdale.

The Portrush pro has now made it two for two in qualifiers for he also had to qualify before teeing it up in last month's US Open at Oakmont.

In all McDowell had 10 birdies and an eagle in his two rounds and won by two shots from Sweden's Peter Hanson (68 65), Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez (66 67) and England's Nick Dougherty
(64 69).

Dougherty breathed a sigh of relief and duly awarded himself a two-week lay-off after an event full of controversy and even an official apology earlier in the day.

"I'd already pulled out of this week's European Open and now I'm not going to play at Loch Lomond next week either," he said. "I'm flat out and found it very hard to keep my head. It's time to take a break."

With only 16 of the 120-strong field going through Dougherty admitted he was starting to panic when he dropped shots during an afternoon and evening of torrential downpours, but he had enough in the hand from the opening round.

He did then admit he would have "a proper whinge" about some of the pin placings if he had crashed out. But plenty of others did.

At the centre of attention was Sweden's Fredrik Andersson Hed, who waited until almost 8pm before discovering that farcical scenes out on the course just after 7am had not cost him a Carnoustie spot.

The qualifier was halted soon after it had begun so that the position of the "unplayable" 156-yard fourth hole could be changed, bringing back memories of the mayhem at the 2004 US Open at Shinnecock Hills.

Before the stoppage Ricardo Gonzalez five-putted, Edoardo Molinari and Alexander Noren four-putted and Brett Rumford three-putted after hitting his tee shot to the sloping green to two feet. His second putt was from 35 feet.

It left one golfer, not wanting to be named, saying of the organising Royal and Ancient Club: "They couldn't run a bath."

Andersson Hed was also among those affected, but he was happy to have parred it and then livid when the eight were told to play the hole again at the completion of their first rounds.

On his return the 35-year-old four-putted for a double bogey five, turning his four under 66 into a 68, but by repeating that on the New Course he then waited and eventually discovered he was fine.

"I think the European Tour should do the pins," he said. "Every time I've played in an event run by the R&A there have been one or two that were barely playable.

"I wouldn't have played the fourth again given the chance, but we were told we had to. I didn't speak to the championship chairman, but I spoke to a few others and hopefully he got the message!"

That chairman was Martin Kippax and he accepted total blame for the original pin placing.

Kippax said: "I chose the pin positions because of the weather we've had and the forecast we had for today. The chance of thunderstorms meant that I chose a place where we would hopefully be able to continue play.

"I tried to be sensible about it, but there are limited options on the fourth. The safest place is in a hollow and absolutely the place where there would be ponding, so instead I chose a place that was within a foot of where it was last year.

"I was then made aware by a referee on the course that we had a potential problem. I went out and saw that it was in an unplayable position, so after consulting with various people, certainly the European Tour, I suspended play and moved the pin position.

"I admit it was a mistake and the responsibility lies on me and me only. One option was to start again completely, but we are on a tight schedule with 36 holes in one day."

Richard Bland, from Southampton, had hit his first tee shot to 18 inches and holed for a birdie two. Second time round he parred, but as he finished down on four over it did not have the same implications as it did for Andersson Hed.

However, Bland said: "It's not rocket science not to put the flag where it was. Anything with a small bit of speed that didn't go in was going to roll off the green, as I saw with Ricardo.

"I said to my caddie we could be here all day. It was just a farce and I'm disappointed with the R&A. In this day and age you expect a bit better."

At the US Open three years ago it was the short eighth hole in the final round that caused controversy, with Kevin Stadler hitting a two-foot putt into a bunker and fellow American Jerry Kelly commenting: "When are the USGA (United States Golf Association) going to grow a head?"

There was no replaying of the hole that day. Play was held up for the green to be watered, but that did not help those who had already had double bogeys and triple bogeys - and fury erupted afterwards.

Among those who failed to make it through were last year's Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam - he was happy to be playing again as he battles post-viral fatigue syndrome - fellow Welshman Phillip Price and 18-year-old Oliver Fisher.

The youngster's namesake Ross Fisher will be playing in his first major, however, and hoping to hit the headlines again eight weeks after leading the BMW PGA Championship at his home club Wentworth and then crashing to an 84.