Wentworth woe for big names

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May 22, 2009

The last two rounds of the BMW PGA Championship will be played without a whole list of star names.

The last two rounds of the BMW PGA Championship will be played without a whole list of star names.
Masters champion Angel Cabrera crashed out on five over after a 75, Players Championship winner Henrik Stenson and South African Retief Goosen were only one better than that and last year’s runner-up Oliver Wilson managed only a seven-over aggregate.
Lee Westwood, meanwhile, had a second-successive 77 for 10-over – his worst 36-hole score in Europe for six years.
Since finishing second to Colin Montgomerie when the Scot completed a hat-trick of victories in 2000 Westwood has not made the cut seven out of nine times.
Padraig Harrington and Ian Poulter stayed away for the second year running this week and Westwood said: “I know where they are coming from – and I might join the club.
“The greens were the best I’ve seen here ironically for many a year,” he added, the irony being that next week all 18 are being ripped up and redone.
“I just didn’t hit it very well, but I missed only one cut in Europe last year and that was here.”
Paul McGinley led by four at halfway at 13-under last year, but an 80 sent him tumbling out on nine over.
John Daly would have sat out the last 36 holes as well but for chipping in on the 13th and 15th for birdies – the second of those from a bunker – and then the 17th for eagle.
“I don’t think I’ve chipped in three times in a full year, let alone one day,” he said after handing in a level-par aggregate.
And when told he seemed to be enjoying being in Europe during his six-month US Tour ban the American replied: “I’m like Jesus – I love all of you!”
Montgomerie looked as if he might be slipping out of it when he bogeyed the 15th and double-bogeyed the last to be back to level par, but he birdied the last two for a 73.