Havret keeps on walking
2008-08-29 21:05
Gleneagles - The last three automatic places in Europe's Ryder Cup team were still in the melting pot on Friday as Frenchman Gregory Havret kept his lead after the second round of the Johnnie Walker Championship.
While Dane Soren Hansen boosted his prospects of a Cup debut
against the United States in Kentucky next month, the dream is
over for young German Martin Kaymer who missed the cut by a
stroke in the final points-counting event.
Hansen overcame a painful wrist to shoot a two-under-par 71
for a four-under 142 total. He is in joint fifth place behind
Havret who had his overnight two-stroke advantage trimmed to one after carding a 71 for 139.
Troubled by wrist problem
Robert Rock birdied the last for a 70 and 140, one ahead of
fellow Britons Bradley Dredge (70) and Peter Whiteford (68).
Hansen is ninth in the Ryder Cup points table, with the
top-10 on Sunday night making up Nick Faldo's team together with the captain's two wildcard selections.
The 34-year-old Dane was troubled by a long-term wrist
problem which required painkillers but recovered well to collect two birdies in his last three holes.
Briton Justin Rose, eighth in the table, also helped his Cup
cause with a 71 for 144.
"Mentally I'm strong, I'm enjoying my golf and enjoying the
challenge and right now it looks good for me," Rose said. "But
I'm sure the guys (behind) will keep the pressure on so there's
no relaxing."
Missed three putts
While Britain's Oliver Wilson, 10th in the Cup points,
rallied from a poor front nine to narrowly make the cut, Kaymer
missed out after a 73 that contained two missed four-foot putts
in the last two holes.
Montgomerie returned a 70 for 144 while Clarke shot a 73 for
145.
Both suffered on the heavily-criticised Centenary greens,
Montgomerie spoiling his day with a late three-putt bogey while
last week's Dutch Open champion Clarke said he missed three
putts of less than two feet.
Havret, competing for the first time since finishing joint
19th at the British Open in July, said he did not expect to be
ahead.
"It was a really mixed day," said the Frenchman. "I missed a
very small putt to double-bogey (the 15th) and then immediately
ran in an eagle putt of 15 yards (at the next).
"I also had a shank early in the round. I've had five weeks
off so I'm quite surprised to be in this position."