Ballantine's Championship: Greame McDowell's defence of the €2.1million Ballantine's Championship crashed and burned at the Pinx Golf Club on Korea's Jeju Island today as he was one of three Irishmen who missed the cut.
The 29-year-old will have the weekend off after a second round 73, which added to his opening 76, left him five-over and four shots outside the cut mark. After yesterday’s round the Portrush pro claimed to be “shocked and stunned” with his game he said was “all over the place” and today’s round didn’t get much better.
He started well enough with birdies at the fourth and 10th to be two-under for the round and within touching distance of making the cut. However three bogeys in the last five holes meant an early bath for the Ryder Cup player.
Jonathan Caldwell also struggled with today’s blustery and showery conditions and finished a shot behind McDowell on six-over after shooting 74. The biggest surprise, however, was Damien’s McGrane’s second round 84, considering the Meath pro opened with a 69 yesterday. But at nine-over he too has the weekend off.
There was better news for Gareth Maybin, Paul McGinley and Peter Lawrie, who all made the cut.
Maybin shot a second round 70 to be two-under at the halfway stage, one better than McGinley (72) and Lawrie (75).
As best the Irish trio, Maybin finds himself seven shots off the pace set by Robert-Jan Derksen from The Netherlands. He added a 69 to his opening 66 and leads by two on nine-under from Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee who shot 71.
Derksen, who started at the 10th, was one of the few able to tame the much-changed conditions. But he too found it tough at times, such as when he bogeyed the second and double-bogeyed the fourth to cost him an even bigger advantage.
“Yeah, it was a difficult day. It didn’t start too difficult. I would say the first eight holes were okay. It wasn’t that windy. But then it picked up from 18 until my ninth. It was tough,” said Derksen, who still managed six birdies.
“I guess it’s difficult for everybody. But to be in the lead after two days…it’s always a good starting point.”
Ernie Els, who had warned the weather would make it a different course today, dropped back to two-under after a 74.
“It was just horrible on the greens today. I left about four or five shots out there. It was difficult keeping your balance, basically,” said the South African.
“It feels like we are back in Scotland today. It’s windy, cold. Yesterday was a good day, we knew that. We knew the weather was coming. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow; maybe we’ll have another good day, who knows.
“Hopefully I’ll be here for the weekend and we can start grinding something out.”
Els fared better than many others, however. Most notably American Fred Couples, who shot a three-under 69 yesterday, but endured a 76 today to leave him one-over and just inside the cut.
