Senior British Open: Second-Round Notebook  PGA TOUR Staff GULLANE, Scotland (PA) -- Ireland's Des Smyth didn't let the adverse weather conditions affect him on Friday at the Senior British Open. Playing in morning winds that ranged from 15-25 mph with occasional higher gusts, the Irishman shot a 1-under-par 70 and is the second-round leader at 2-under-par 140.  Stewart Ginn was one of only two players to break par on Friday at merciless Muirfield. (Phil Inglis/Getty Images)
• An eight-time winner on the European Tour and a two-time champion on the Champions Tour, Smyth was just one of two players to fashion a sub-par round in the gusty conditions. Stewart Ginn fired a 1-under-par 70 as well. • A total of 77 players made the cut at 9-over-par 151. Of the first 34 groups on Friday, only Des Smyth finished with a round under par. And Smyth is the lone player in the field with two sub-par rounds (70-70). • Only five players will begin Saturday's third round with scores under par. In addition to Smyth at 2-under-par 140, Gordon J. Brand, Tom Watson, Eduardo Romero and Stewart Ginn will all begin play at 1-under-par 141 and are T2. • Two-time Senior British Open champion Tom Watson is currently tied for second after an even-par 71 on Friday. It was an up and down day for Watson. After posting a 2-under-par 34 on the front nine, his back nine included two birdies and four bogeys. He finished bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie and bogey on his way to the 71. • The trio of Watson, Mark O'Meara and Nick Faldo, who own nine British Open titles among them, including five by Watson and three by Faldo, posted rounds of 71, 71 and 74, respectively. Watson is tied for second, Faldo tied for sixth and O'Meara is tied for 10th going into Saturday's third round. • The opening hole was by far the most difficult on Friday. Playing into a stiff headwind, only one player -- Tim Simpson -- made a birdie. The field averaged 5.043 (+.1.03) more than a stroke over par. In addition to 68 bogeys, there were 21 double bogeys and 11 triple bogeys and beyond. • Hole No. 18 plagued a number of the leaders on Friday. Of the current players in the top 10 (14 overall), seven made bogey and one (Gordon J. Brand) made a double at the closing hole that knocked him from atop the leaderboard. The only player in the top 10 to make a birdie at No. 18 was Des Smyth. • Among the players making the cut were veterans Gary Player and Bob Charles. The pair stands at 6 over par (tied for 39th). This is Charles' 21st appearance in the event and the 71-year-old New Zealander is a two-time winner of the event. The 71-year-old Player owns three Senior British Open titles. • A strong back nine helped defending champion Loren Roberts right the ship after he opened with a 4-over-par 40 that left him at 7 over par at the turn. Roberts finished with two birdies and an eagle on the back nine and finds himself tied for 25th after two rounds at 4-over-par 146. • Among the players failing to make the cut was Nick Job. After shooting a 3-under-par 68 on Thursday to share the first-round lead, he followed with a 14-over-par 85 on Friday to finish at 11-over-par 153. Bogeys on the final hole cost Mike Reid and Seiji Ebihara a spot in Saturday's third round as the pair finished at 10 over par, one shy of the cut mark. • John Mahaffey (flu), Eddie Polland (knee), Tommy Horton (illness) and Malcolm Gregson (hip) all withdrew prior to the start of their rounds on Friday. |
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