2009 British Open - Round 2

It was a day of contrasting and unexpected fortunes at the 139th British Open for TW initialled legendary golfers! Tom Watson continued to defy Father Time at the top of the leaderboard while Tiger Woods missed his first cut since the 2006 US Open. In much more challenging conditions, Watson struggled on the more difficult front nine, dropping five shots to par. However, the wise old head and one of the finest links golfers of all time kept his composure to recover his round on the easier downwind inward nine. Two sixty foot bombs on 16 and 18 for birdie didn't hurt Watson's cause as he joined Steve Marino in the lead on -5. Marino hit a fantastic 68 in the worst of the conditions to deservedly lead in his maiden classic links tournament.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods was again out of sorts and struggled to a 74 for a +5 total. Unfortunately, this was one shot too many as he missed the cut for the first time in 39 events. The world number one simply did not play well enough. A poor stretch of bogey, bogey, double bogey around the turn derailed his round and despite a valiant effort at the finish, Woods missed only his second ever cut in a major tournament.

Defending champion Padraig Harrington posted a 74 for +3 total to make the cut and keep his slim hopes for a hat trick of titles alive. The Irish man is eight shots behind and probably needs help from mother nature as well as a miraculous return to form to pull it off!