Jamie Spence went from a nightmare Open Championship to a superb 16 under-par for second place in the TNT Open in under a week when his career hung in the balance.

The tenacious, outspoken journeyman from The Nevill confessed that he hated every minute at Muirfield when he missed the cut on 155 and finished equal 149th with golden oldie Tom Watson. There were only six worse scores than Jamie's 77, 78.

From Muirfield, Jamie returned to his Langton Green home and looked-up old Tour mate Peter Mitchell for a few tips.

Spence said: "He spotted the trouble at once. I have always played the ball well forward and when it started to creep back I couldn't get out of it and consequently I was hooking and pulling.

"When I put it right I was able to fade the ball again and it made all the difference."

So to Hilversum and the TNT Open which Jamie likened in some respects to Muirfield. He tore Hilversum apart. Only Tobias Dier went one better finishing on 263 and pipping Jamie by one stroke.

Spence said: "I knew 15 under would be a good score and I beat that so I couldn't complain. Importantly, I went from missing my Tour card to qualifying for the Volvo Masters so it was a very good tournament for me.

"Up until Hilversum, I was way down the Order of Merit and needed a big improvement on 94th place to move into what, I trust, is a safety region."

Jamie improved by 25 strokes on his Open performance.

On his first day, he whipped it round in 29 on the back nine and required only one more on his second round to compose cards of 66 and 64.

So what went so very wrong at the Open?

Spence said: "I hated every minute. I was last out on the first day at 4.36pm with Adam Mednick and Trevor Immelman.

"Okay, somebody has to be last. But I couldn't settle, what with sleeping three nights in three different rooms after the R&A offered me something for £330 a night which I wouldn't have put my dog in.

"When we came down the 18th we were clapped home by the binmen and security guards. I couldn't get in the back door of the locker room and there wasn't a soul in the clubhouse.

To make matters worse we couldn't even enjoy a moment or two relaxation with our caddies who were barred from the locker room."

Spence is no whinger. But he questioned the failure of the R&A to use two starting points. "What would have been wrong with that? Too much old boy tradition, that's what. I have said in the past a few things about the R&A and that they couldn't run a monthly medal. I'll always speak my mind, but I was really looking forward to Muirfield as it is a course that normally suits me."