Open Day 2 Round Up

While Zach Johnson and Angel Cabrera struggled to keep their scores together as they battled for the 36-hole lead in The Open Championship, 49-year-old Miguel Angel Jimenez was sitting with his feet up, safe in the knowledge that at three under par he had put himself in position to become the oldest winner in the modern era.

Johnson, who began the day on five under par, was still on that mark on the back nine but, in the blink of an eye, he dropped three shots.

It left Cabrera, another fortysomething, tied for the lead with Jimenez.

Those who predicted that the glorious weather would see the world's greatest players ripping Muirfield apart were left with red faces - although that might well have had something to do with the sun, shining down from a cloudless sky.

Jimenez shot a solid round of 71 to find himself alone on 139. One shot further back lie Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson Dustin Johnson.

 

They all found entirely different to get to two under. Westwood played brilliantly for a 68 that could actually have been a couple of shots better, but what will give him the most pleasure is his short game, which looks to be in great shape. He holed several good putts and drove incredibly well.

Woods wasn't at his best, even putting the ball off the green at one point. He missed several fairways and a couple of very short putts but still got it round in 71 and will be hoping that he has managed to get all his bad golf out of his system.

Stenson had a rare old blend of birdies and bogeys but when it was all added up it amounted to a second successive 70. The only other player with a chance of completing two sub-par rounds was Cabrera, the former Masters and US Open champion.

Darren Clarke won The Open in 2011 and for a while today he looked like he might be right in the mix. Three early birdies got him under par, but then came a horrific quadruple-bogey eight. To his eternal credit, the Ulsterman kept battling away and finished with a highly creditable 71, which leaves him one over par.

There is even a Scot on the leaderboard. Martin Laird, who spends most of his career on the PGA Tour, went round in 71 and at one under par finds himself right in the mix, alongside Rafael Cabrera-Bello, of Spain. Phil Mickelson was with them until he four-putted the 16th green.

Ryan Moore is all on his own at level par.

After his round, Stenson revealed that he had hit a five iron 300 yards at the 15th. "I know what to expect with these conditions," he said. Stenson has recently emerged from a slump and has twice finished third at The Open.

"You know it's going to be tough, and sometimes you might feel it isn't fair, but we are all playing the same course and the breaks even out. I am happy with the patience I have managed to keep these first two days. I only hit one driver today, at the fifth."

Rory McIlroy's miserable run continues. He missed the cut by miles and must now find a way to regroup before the defence of his US PGA title. This has been a season he will want to forget in a hurry, with everybody having their say and giving their verdict. The truth is that only McIlroy can find the answer.

US Open champion Justin Rose was another to miss the cut.

Photo - (Kevin Diss /www.kevindiss.com)

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Derek Clements is a sports journalist with a particular passion for golf with over 12 years of experience covering golf and other sports including Chief Sub-Editor on the sports desk of The Sunday Times. To contact Derek email direct via [email protected]

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