Tiger facing Open cut as Marino takes lead

2009-07-17

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TURNBERRY, Scotland (AFP) - Steve Marino made the most of a last minute call-up to the British Open by moving into the lead on Friday as Tiger Woods battled for survival at Turnberry.

After losing his ball in deep rough on the 10th hole, Woods ran up a double bogey six and then dropped another shot at the 12th to slip to five over for the tournament, one shot outside the projected cut mark.

Only once since he turned professional in August, 1996 has the world number one missed the cut in a major tournament.

That was at the 2006 US Open in the aftermath of his father's death although he also missed out at the 1996 Masters, in which he featured as a 20-year-old amateur.

With tougher pin positions and weather sending scores upwards, overnight leader Miguel Angel Jimenez fell back with a second round 73 but Marino mastered the conditions to add a 68 to his opening 67 and reach five under.

That represented a remarkable couple of days work for a player who only got into his first Open as a reserve after Shingo Katayama pulled out injured and had his first look at a links course on Tuesday.

"I had no idea I was going to be here," said Marino, who was playing in the John Deere Classic when he found out he was in the Open. "I had to send my dad down to Florida to get my passport FedEx-ed up to me in Illinois so I could get on the charter plane over. But I'm happy to be here. It's been a blast."

Marino was a shot clear of compatriots Mark Calcavecchia, the Open champion at nearby Troon 20 years ago, who shot a 69 to get to four under, and Tom Watson, who, with two holes left to play, was keeping his bid to become the oldest major winner on track despite five bogeys on his front nine.

Japan's Kenichi Kuboya, who had started at five under, lost a ball off the tee at the 13th and ran up a double bogey six which resulted in him carding a two-over 73 to join the group on three under, alongside Jimenez, Retief Goosen and Ross Fisher.

Marino's 68 was matched by Fisher, who finished 5th at the US Open last month. The Englishman is on track for a similar performance here but he has vowed to abandon his quest for a first major title if his wife, who was due to give birth on Tuesday, goes into labour.

"I've got through Thursday and Friday and hopefully I'll get through Saturday and Sunday," the 28-year-old said. "I think my game is ready to win the biggest and the best tournaments. I lost by only three at Bethpage and even beat Tiger by one, so hopefully I can go a little bit better."

Two-times US Open champion Goosen came in with a level par 70. "I think the course was probably playing seven shots tougher today because of where they put the pins," he reported.

Goosen's compatriot Ernie Els is also not out of contention, at one over after a 72.

Jimenez, who took the outright lead on Thursday by holing a 60-foot putt on the 18th green to register an opening 64, was among the early starters and had four bogeys in his first six holes before battling back.

Ben Curtis, the 2003 champion who was in a tie for second with Watson and Kuboya at the end of the first round, briefly shared the lead after a 1st hole birdie only to collapse spectacularly.

Eight bogeys and two double bogeys resulted in an 80 that left him facing the cut at five over.

Padraig Harrington, the out-of-form defending champion, had a 74 to ensure he would almost certainly be around for the weekend but his chances of a third straight claret jug look slim at three over.

Ian Poulter (79), the runner-up to Harrington at Royal Birkdale last year, US Open champion Lucas Glover (77) and former champions Sandy Lyle (73) and Nick Faldo (73) were among those with no chance of survival.