Golf – Wales Open:Eight putts on one hole is the sort of thing even a beginner at golf would hope never to do — but it happened to Britain's last winner of a major title today. Paul Lawrie was two strokes off the lead in the Wales Open at Celtic Manor when he ran up an incredible 11 in today's second round and missed the cut.
On a day that ended with German Marcel Siem and Australian Andrew Dodt taking over top spot from England’s Chris Wood, who himself crashed to a 76, the former Open champion had charged to 63rd place to joint fourth place when he hit his second shot to the 610-yard second — his 10th — into a greenside bunker.
A sixth birdie of the day was his hope at that point, but after splashing out 20 yards past the flag his first putt rolled off into a hollow. He needed three attempts to get back up, then from 20 feet beyond the cup he putted back down the slope and took three more from there.
“Ridiculous,” he said after signing for a 74 and making plans to fly home to Aberdeen.
Asked if the blame lay with him or the pin placing, the 41-year-old, whose last victory came at the resort eight years ago, replied: “Bit of both. I hit the first putt about a foot out. When you do that from 60 feet and you end up where I was then that’s a bit silly.”
There was also a quintuple bogey eight from world number 12 Martin Kaymer at the short third — he hit two balls into the water — and a double seven seven from world number nine Luke Donald on the 575-yard 18th.
But Donald, winner of last week’s Madrid Masters, also had nine birdies and with a six-under 65 equalled the course record and improved 10 strokes on his opening effort to be two under at halfway.
That is only four behind Siem and Dodt, who shot 67 and 70 respectively to be one ahead of Dane Thomas Bjorn, whose 68 raised his spirits following six successive missed cuts.
Wood, having started with a 65, had his own problems with double bogeys at the fourth, 13th and short 17th as the Ryder Cup lay-out bared its teeth more in the energy-sapping sunshine.
European captain Colin Montgomerie, his day overshadowed by tabloid allegations about his private life that he has confirmed in a statement, is very much in the hunt for a first win in three years at two under.