LEE WESTWOOD knows he passed up a golden opportunity to win his first Major in The Open at Turnberry.

The Worksop golfer bogeyed the last hole when a par would have got him into a three-way play-off with veteran Tom Watson and eventual champion Stewart Cink.

He ended up in a tie for third with compatriot Chris Wood, who finished fifth and won the Silver Medal as leading amateur 12 months ago at Royal Birkdale, but knows it should have been better.

"I played great all week. Third place is not to be sniffed at in a Major but it is disappointing really," said Westwood, who also finished third at the US Open last year after missing a play-off by one shot.

"I had a chance to win the Open Championship, a great chance.

"I'm a shot out of the play-off on both. They are both pretty sickening but this is the Open Championship and it means the most to me."

Westwood had an outside chance with his 80-foot birdie attempt at the 18th which, had it dropped, would have made him the first English winner of the Claret Jug since Nick Faldo in 1992 at Muirfield.

Criminally, he raced it 10ft past and then could not hole the one coming back which would have given him a two-under total and put him level with clubhouse leader Cink.

He then had to watch on television as the 59-year-old Watson, at three under and needing a par at the last to win his record-equalling sixth Open, made bogey to drop into a play-off with his fellow American.

"That makes it even worse. It's gone from frustration to sickness," was Westwood's response.

"It was a tricky two-putt at the last but I thought I had to hole it to be honest - I didn't see Tom bogeying the last as he is such an experienced guy.

"I've had my disasters out there when I've been doing well, they can happen and they generally do when they matter the most."

The 36-year-old began yesterday at two under, two behind overnight leader Watson, and despite a bogey at the fifth he bounced back to birdie the sixth and eagle the long seventh, turning in 32.

Despite bogeying 10, 15 and 16, he had an 18ft eagle attempt at the par-five 17th and although it did not drop he was still back to two under.

Unfortunately, his tee shot at 18 found the left fairway bunker but he still produced a remarkable recovery to the front right of the green to set up that unlikely long-range birdie attempt, which he felt he had to make to keep his hopes alive.