New Delhi: Indian’s Arjun Atwal, who plays on the US PGA Tour, failed to qualify for the British Open, a first-round 75 proving not good enough at the international final qualifiers at the Canoe Brook Country Club in New Jersey.

However, Daniel Chopra, a Swede of Indian origin, who grew up learning the tricks of the trade at the Delhi Golf Club, qualified with rounds of 68 and 69 to grab one of the 14 spots available here for the Open to be held at St Andrews from July 14-17

This will be the 32-year-old Chopra’s first appearance at the British Open. Chopra, a former Asian Tour regular, played at the 2004 US Open and, in his very first appearance at a major, made the cut and finished tied 24th.

Bolstering the Asian Tour’s challenge at the Open, will be Simon Dyson, who came through the qualifiers in Europe, and Thailand’s Thammanoon Srirot, who grabbed a spot by finishing tied fourth at the Mizuno Open.

The top-four finishers at the Mizuno Open, who are otherwise not qualified for British Open, were given tickets to the year’s third major.

Thammanoon shot a superb final round display of six-under-par 66 to seal his berth.

Thammanoon will join compatriot Thongchai Jaidee at St Andrews. Thongchai earned his place by virtue of his win at last season’s Asian Tour Order of Merit, while Asian Tour members Mardan Mamat of Singapore and Australian Richard Moir earned their places with top-three finishes at the international final qualifying in Malaysia in early April.

Korea’s Yang Yong-Eun, who cut his professional teeth in Asia before moving on to Japan, finished tied sixth for his third top-10 of the year in Japan. Yang and compatriot Hur Suk-Ho also qualified for the British Open through the Japan money ranking.