Toms squeaks into U.S. and British Open via world rank

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IRVING, Texas (AP) -- David Toms missed the cut at the HP Byron Nelson Championship but made it into the next two majors.

The top 50 in the world ranking after this week are exempt from qualifying for the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black and the British Open at Turnberry. Toms slipped only three spots to finish at No. 50, by three-hundredths of a point over Aaron Baddeley, who chose not to play the Nelson and fell two spots to No. 51.

Toms will get to skip the June 8, 36-hole qualifying tournament for the U.S. Open.

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain birdied the 18th hole at Wentworth for a 68 to tie for 11th in the BMW PGA Championship on the European Tour, earning enough points to move up 11 spots to No. 49. It will be his first U.S. Open.

Other players exempt from the world ranking are Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Luke Donald, Alvaro Quiros, Adam Scott and Justin Rose.

The U.S. Open also exempts the top 10 from the PGA TOUR money list through the Byron Nelson Championship. That group includes Sean O'Hair, Nick Watney, Rory Sabbatini, Paul Casey and Dustin Johnson. They also would have been eligible through the top 50 in the world.

A 36-hole British Open qualifier for PGA TOUR players will be held Monday near Dallas.

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