Golf:As a European Tour event the €1million Austrian Open struggles to capture the imagination when scheduled among other higher profile tournaments, so it will come as something of a disappointment to organisers when two of the top billings in Jose Maria Olazabal and Nick Dougherty missed the halfway cut in Vienna.
Olazabal crashed out at Fontana Golf Club after a second round 72 left the two-time Masters champion level par and two shots outside the cut which fell at two-under.
The Spaniard’s undoing came at the 17th when he found the water hazard and ran up a double bogey six. Previously he mixed three birdies with as many bogeys but even a closing birdie at the 18th wasn’t enough to make it into the weekend.
Dougherty didn’t fare any better after a second consecutive 71 also left the Englishman on level par.
Gary Murphy was safely into the weekend after a 67 left the Kilkenny golfer just outside the top 10 on seven-under. The 36-year-old was set for a bogey-free round after picking up five birdies but was denied by a solitary bogey at the 17th.
Damien McGrane will also be around for the weekend after he too shot 67 to get to four-under. However Michael Hoey’s 69 for a one-under aggregate left the Belfast pro one shot shy.
At business end England’s Benn Barham is fighting to secure his playing privileges on the main drag in these crucial latter stages of the season. So far he has made a good first of things and yesterday’s second round 66, for a 13-under–par 129 aggregate, gave him a two shot lead over Australian Richard Green, who matched the leader’s score.
Barham’s midway total equalled the low two-round scoring for the season in a tournament that only carries a one-year winner’s exemption instead of the normal two and offers a €166,660 first prize, almost half that of most regular events.
But none of that will bother Barham should he go on to win on Sunday and secure his playing rights for next year plus climb from his current place of 175th in the Race to Dubai standings.
“You never know what will happen in this game,” he said. “I’ve been working with a new coach the last few weeks and it’s just a case of letting it go.
“I’m pleased with the direction it is moving. With the way my season is going I needed a different direction to freshen things up - playing the same week-in week-out was frustrating.
“Robert Watts has given me a few new things to work on and I have been striking it well. As a golfer if you hit the ball well you think well and everything falls into place.
“There is a long way to go. I’ll try to treat it as another round with my mates at Chart Hills (in Kent). The moment you get caught up in it the problems start to arise.”
Scott Drummond is another player fighting to keep his card after his five-year exemption for winning the PGA Championship runs out in November. The Scot shot 68 to be third on 10-under, three shots off the pace.
Welshman Bradley Dredge shot the low round of the day (64) to move up to six-under.
