WORCESTERSHIRE'S John Bickerton slipped down the field in the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond after a disappointing two over par 73.
This left him nine shots behind leader Fredrik Jacobson of Sweden.
Bickerton started the day at four under par, but bogeys at the fifth and eighth holes soon put him on the back foot. He lifted his confidence with birdies at the ninth, tenth and 14th to go five under, but a disastrous run-in put paid to his hopes of staying with the leaders.
The Droitwich Golf Club member bogeyed three of the last four holes to slip to two under and a share of 25th position.
Superb rounds of 66 and 65 swept Jacobson, five times a runner-up on tour without winning once, four shots clear of the field.
The Swede had five successive birdies from the fifth to turn in 31 and after a bogey at the 12th finished with two more in the last four holes.
Unless he self-destructs, the 27-year-old should now earn one of the 15 spots in next week's Open.
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