Padraig Harrington will be hugely disappointed to have his week’s work cut short today after he failed to make the halfway cut at the European Tour’s signature event, the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Uncharacteristically, Harrington stumbled home to a four-over 76 last night notching up a double-bogey and bogey on the final two holes of the West Course. Traditionally the two par fives are holes were the professionals expect to pick up shots not drop them.
Today’s level par 72 left the Dubliner on four-over and some way short off the cut which is projected at level par 144.
Darren Clarke, who finished tied eighth last year, has made steady progress on the opening two days, with rounds of 70 and 71, to be three-under going into the weekend.
Considering the unpredictable weather at the Surrey course, Clarke will know he is certainly within striking distance of the leaders going into the weekend.
Denmark’s Anders Hansen assumed the second round lead on 11-under from the overnight leader Colin Montgomerie. The Scot appeared startled after hitting a spectator on the head with his ball at the 16th.
Hansen shot the low round of the day, 65, and leads Montgomerie (70) and Argentina’s Eduardo Romero (68) by two shots in second. Montgomerie dropped three shots on the last four holes.
The surprising good news from an Irish perspective was noting the progress Ronan Rafferty continued to make. The top European golfer in 1989 finished on four-under with today's 72 despite running up a double-bogey seven at the last.
Rafferty only made one cut from 19 starts last year, illustrating the barren times which the Ulsterman has had to endure in recent years.
Elsewhere, Paul McGinley fell one shot short of the cut despite rallying well on the back nine. Having dropped four shots by the time he reached the turn, McGinley picked up three birdies on the inward half to get back to level but another bogey at the 16th proved costly.
Eamonn Darcy was another Irish casualty after rounds of 79 and 71 left the Druid Glen pro on six-over.
Neither Des Smyth nor John Dwyer will be around for the weekend. Both were eight-over as they neared the conclusion of their rounds.
Robert Giles completed the Irish line-up and he, like so many of his countrymen, failed to impress. Giles was 11-over with eight holes left to play.