BRUTAL Carnoustie was again in beastly mood yesterday, and even the inform Colin Montgomerie had to admit defeat in his struggle with the sternest test in British seaside golf.
After two days of the Scottish Open no one has bettered the notional par of 144 for 36 holes, and most of the cream of European golf are counting the cost of the unequal contest in bruised egos. Montgomerie who had a flawless opening 70, dropped four shots in as many holes in an outward 40 and limped in with a 77.
But he is still ideally placed to go into next week's Open championship on the wings of back to back victories, because he starts today's third stage only three shots behind the joint, level par leaders Ian Woosnam, Russell Claydon and American Jay Townsend.
Townsend and Claydon have both been round twice in 72, equivalent to six under against the realistic par of 75 for the 7,246 yards links. Woosnam followed his opening 70 with a 74 after sinking 20 foot putts for birdies at the 15th and 16th.
Best placed of the Irish is De& Smyth, whose links upbringing has been of immense benefit here. But no one escaped unscathed from the unrelenting conflict against a boisterous wind and vicious rough a battle made savage by a selection of second round pin placings bordering on the sadistic.
Like every one else, Smyth had to take his medicine yesterday, as a poor approach to the 15th led to three successive bogeys and a second 75. David Feherty, who also had to combat an ear infection that has affected his balance, Paul McGinley, Eamonn Darcy and Ronan Rafferty, were the other Irish qualifiers.
Outward 41s by Padraig Harrington (78) and Francis Howley (83) led to their downfall, while two sevens in an inward 44 by Raymond Burns (82) put him among the discards. Despite sinking a second shot of 155 yards for an eagle two at the fifth, Darren Clarke (75) also departed, as did Christy O'Connor Jnr with eight, bogeys in a 79.
Birdies were available, but most of them came at the two reachable par fives, the 12th and 14th. As Montgomerie remarked. "Elsewhere you had 16 opportunities to make bogey or worse. You had to fight for everything."
On the majority of downwind holes the flags were sited on the front of the greens, making it almost impossible to get close.
At the upwind holes, the exasperated toilers found the flags were invariably at the fear and tucked away in the opposite corner to the prevailing wind. Those who attacked were always risking potential disaster.
Those who opted for discretion, found themselves trying to get down in two putts from 50 feet on greens made increasingly slicker by the wind.
It was a game of patience in which you had to hang on as long as you can," said a relieved Woosnam, who pushed the ball back in his putting stance in the closing stages and was rewarded with those two priceless birdies and a 12 footer for par at the severe 17th.
"It is not often I am pleased with a 74," added the Welshman. Tournament director Mike Stewart stoutly defended his course set up "I can't deny there were some very severe pin placings. But I wanted to set a stern challenge and for the best shots to be rewarded rather than the average. The aim was to bring the quality ball strikers to the top."
One quality striker who did not respond was South African Ernie Els, the 1994 US Open champion. He scrambled in on 153, but exclaimed. "That course brought me to my knees. I felt like a 10 handicapper out there."
Although there are five special Open places on offer here tomorrow, it looks increasingly likely that Feherty will have to undergo the final qualifying ordeal at Formby at the weekend. He had 40 putts yesterday in his 78, an overdose he described as "hideous".
McGinley also fell victim to the notorious finish, after getting out in par, but then taking 40 home after a double bogey at the 18th.
