He needs a top five finish at the Barclays Scottish Open this weekend to extend his record of playing in every Championship since 1991.

Loch Lomond is the last remaining hope of qualification for Royal Birkdale for a host of players including Rory McIlroy who, like Clarke, failed at final qualifying at Sunningdale last month.

Clarke, who missed the cut at the European Open near London — but was later disqualified for signing an incorrect card — accepts that his game has not kicked on since his win in Asia in April.

"I expected to go on from there and that's maybe the problem, putting too much pressure on myself," he admitted.

"I don't like watching things like the Open at home when I feel I should be there playing."

Graeme McDowell made sure of his place at the Open long before final qualification but it is the Ryder Cup which is uppermost in his thoughts as it has been for most of the season. He was disappointed not to have mounted more of a charge on Ross Fisher at the European Open on Sunday but his third place finish has taken him back into the last automatic place on Nick Faldo's team just a week after losing it.

Nick Dougherty is the man who slips out of the ten automatic places. Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald are the two favourites to take the wild cards if they don't play their way onto the team.

The wrist injury suffered by Donald at the US Open has now put him out of the Barclays Scottish Open.

Fourth in the event last July and joint runner-up two years ago, Donald has decided to give his ligament problem another week's rest rather than risk further damage before the Open.

"Luke's been speaking to specialists and is almost ready to resume playing, but as a precautionary measure he's going to give it one more week," said Guy Kinnings, director of golf in Europe for the International Management Group.

Donald was in joint 23rd place after 14 holes of the final round at Torrey Pines when he had his left wrist strapped by medics before deciding not to continue.

"Luke had a problem with his left wrist all week. It had been feeling sore right from the start and when he teed off on the 15th tee he just felt something go, something pop," said his brother and caddie Christian.

Because of his enforced lay-off he has slipped to 39th in the Ryder Cup standings, increasing the chances that he will need a wild card from captain Faldo at the end of next month.

World number two Phil Mickelson is at Loch Lomond once again this week as are Adam Scott and Ernie Els in a strong field ahead of next week's Open.

Sergio Garcia, though, has decided not to play. and has returned home to Spain after his third place finish at the London Club.

The Spaniard, who finished runner-up to Padraig Harrington at Carnoustie after a play-off last year, is in the unusual position of being named by the bookies as favourite for the Open in the absence of Tiger Woods who needed more surgery after his US Open win.