JOHN Bickerton's difficult season in the European Tour continued when he missed the cut in the Daily Telegraph Dunlop British Masters over the weekend.

The Droitwich Spa professional failed to make the cut at the Marriott Forest of Arden.

Bickerton finished 11-over-par at the end of two rounds after enduring a frustrating period.

Bickerton endured a poor start to the league when he bogeyed the par-four first hole.

A double bogey on the third hole gave Bickerton a mountain to climb.

Dropped shots on the sixth and 15th holes left him in trouble, before he birdied the penultimate hole.

However, he finished the day five-over-par after he dropped a shot on the 18th hole.

To make the cut Bickerton needed a huge effort and he started the second day steadily by scoring level par on the first three holes.

A birdie on the fourth hole gave the Droitwich golfer hope of a comeback, but two dropped shots on the sixth and seventh holes put him back to square one.

Bickerton then bogeyed the 11th hole, before picking up a shot on the 12th.

But double bogeys on the 14th and 18th holes, and a dropped shot on the 15th, made sure Bickerton progressed no further.

The result saw Bickerton slip to 151st in the Volvo European Tour order of merit.

He will be looking to bounce back this weekend when he takes part in the Nissan Irish Open at Carton House Golf Club.

While Bickerton struggled at the Forest of Arden, Sweden's Thomas Bjorn won the tournament in a sudden death play-off on Sunday.

Bjorn had finished the final round tied on six-under-par with England's Brian Davis and David Howell.

Davis exited the play-of after bogeying the 18th hole.

Both Howell and Bjorn eagled the 17th hole to keep the contest alive.

However, it was the Swede who kept his nerve by paring the final hole to win the tournament.

He said: "It has been a long time and there have been some tough times since I last won on the tour.

"This win was important for me and it is nice to have that feeling again."