Harrington four back; Power and Leona cut in US
Lucas Bjerregaard. Picture Getty
Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley slipped back as Italy’s Andrea Pavan and Dane Lucas Bjerregaard snatched the halfway lead in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Harrington had four birdies and four bogeys in a 72 at Carnoustie, falling from third to 23rd on three-under with McGinley a shot further back after a 73 there.
Pavan, who forced Harrington to settle for second in the D+D Real Czech Masters, fired a nine-under 63 at Kingsbarns to share the lead with Bjerregaard (65) on seven-under.
They lead by one from a three-strong group that features Tyrrell Hatton, who shot 66 at Carnoustie as he bids for a hat-trick of wins in the $5 million event.
Shane Lowry shot 75 at Carnoustie to slip to three over while Graeme McDowell (72) and Paul Dunne (73) are also outside the projected cut line on five-over and seven-over respectively.
Tramore’s Robin Dawson got back to level with a 70 at Kingsbarns as Michael Hoey’s 72 at the Old Course left him on two-over.
At the PGA Tour’s Safeway Open, Seamus Power three-putted three times in a second successive 71 to miss the cut by a shot on two-under.
Power started with a three-putt from 57 feet at the 10th, then birdied the 12th, 16th and 17th before three-putting the first from 10 feet, missing a two and a half footer for par.
After that reverse, he overshot the 247-yard par par three second and dropped another shot. A two-putt birdie at the fifth got him back to two-under but he then three-putted again from 30 feet at the seventh, this time missing a four-foot return putt.
He had a chance from 12 feet at the eighth but missed and while he chipped dead to birdie the par-five ninth, it was not enough to avoid his third successive cut in as many appearances at Silverado.
Brandt Snedeker shot a 65 to lead by three shots from Phil Mickelson (69), Ryan Moore a (67) and Michael Thompson (65) on 13-under.
Mickelson appears happy to be back in California and far from Le Golf National in Paris, which he described as "almost unplayable” due to its narrow fairways and thick rough..
“I’m 48, I’m not going to play tournaments with rough like that anymore. It’s a waste of my time,” Mickelson said after his first round.
"I’m going to play courses that are playable, and I can play aggressive, attacking, make lots of birdies type of golf I like to play."
After his second round, Mickelson explained that he will now pick and choose his events more carefully and reduce his schedule.
“I love what I do, but as opposed to playing the tournaments you’re expected to play, I’m going to play the events I like and that are best for me even if it doesn’t make sense or if people have a problem with it,” Mickelson said.
“I’m going to have to start limiting the number of tournaments I play, so I can play those at a higher level. I’m getting a little bit more mental fatigue. I’m not able to focus and see the shot as clearly as I’d like for so many weeks in a row.”
He added, “As I looked at my schedule next year, I think there will be some I miss that people will be upset about. But I’m not going to worry about it.”
Brendan McGovern shot an immaculate, two-under 70 to head the Irish challenge, five shots adrift of Austrian rookie Markus Brier in a tie for tenth in the Farmfoods European Senior Masters at the Forest of Arden.
At the Symetra Tour Championship in Florida, Stephanie Meadow added a 69 to her opening 71 in her final event before she returns to the LPGA Tour next season.
Ranked fourth in the money list and already guaranteed one of 10 LPGA Tour cards, she was 11 shots behind leader Pavarisa Yoktuan of Thailand, tied for 14th on four-under.
However, Leona Maguire is now obliged to tee it up at Stage II of the Qualifying School from October 13-18 after she shot a second round 75 to miss the level par cut by two strokes.
