Graeme McDowell, who qualified for last month's US Open, cruised through to this year's British Open at Carnoustie by leading yesterday's 36-hole qualifying tournament at Sunningdale in England.

The Northern Irishman fired rounds of 67 and 64 for a nine-under-par aggregate to grab top spot by two shots from Ryder Cup player Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain, England's Nick Dougherty and Peter Hanson of Sweden.

Only the top 16 players got through, and among those who failed to make it through were last year's Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam - he was just happy to be playing again as he battles post-viral fatigue syndrome - fellow Welshman Phillip Price and 18-year-old Oliver Fisher of England.

But the competition was full of controversy and even an official apology earlier in the day.

The qualifier was halted soon after it had begun at 7am so that the position of the "unplayable", 156-yard fourth hole could be changed.

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."

Sweden's Andersson Hed was 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.

"I chose the pin positions because of the weather we've had and the forecast we had for today," he said. "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 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."