PROFESSIONAL golfer Darren Parris said his first major tournament had been a brilliant experience after bowing out of the Open at Hoylake.

He missed the cut after a second-round 72, a level-par round. However, as in his opening round, a three-over-par 75, he finished with a birdie at the 18th.

And the 33-year-old, from the North Foreland club in Broadstairs, said he had thoroughly enjoyed his major championship debut.

He said: "It has been a brilliant experience. It is great coming down 18 with three massive grandstands. There was probably three or four thousand in them, awesome.

"I haven’t hit the ball well enough to be competitive but at least I have had two reasonable scores, which has been due to the short game."

He said his best moment of the week was a practice round with 2003 champion Ben Curtis.