Day 2 at Muirfield

July 20, 2013 at 6:53AM
Ryan Moore of the United States holds up his ball after putting on the second green during the second round of the British Open Golf Championship at Muirfield, Scotland, Friday July 19, 2013. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Ryan Moore (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

DAY 2

AT MUIRFIELD

Keep that card

Ryan Moore: He had a 3-under round going through 14 holes before a bogey bit him on No. 15, and again on the par-5 17th. But his 1-under 70 put him in the top 10 entering the weekend.

Toss that card

Nicolas Colsaerts: The man known as the Belgian Bomber imploded big-time on the 15th hole, when he needed six putts to get the ball in the hole for a quintuple-bogey 9. He missed the cut by a shot. "When you see it on TV it will look like a stupid situation but he was trying on every putt and he missed each time," said Michel Vanmeerbeek, Colsaerts' putting coach. "One of the best players in the world ends up looking stupid."

On the course with ...

Lee Westwood: The Brit, regarded as one of the best players without a major victory, has a real shot, as he finished 36 holes tied for second at 2 under. The only downside is that he was rolling at 6 under after making birdie on No. 12 — then bogeyed three of the last six holes. "He putted beautifully, the putts that he needed to make he has made," playing partner Charl Schwartzel said. "And then that's been the difference with him this week so far. You can see the way he's walking and the way he's playing. Definitely a danger man."

British Open moment

Call it revenge for Charl Schwartzel, who tied for low round at 3-under 68 a day after snapping his 8-iron in disgust during a frustrating opening-round 75. The 2011 Masters champion compared the fairways to a "runway" after hitting his drive at No. 15 380 yards into a bunker at speed and another at the second hole more than 400 yards."It becomes a bit of a lottery. You don't know what's going to happen ... you can hit good shots and get all sorts of results," Schwartzel said. "And it's not that exactly fair, in my eyes." However, Schwartzel says if he wins the claret jug on Sunday, "I'll be kissing this golf course."

Swede success?

Two rounds of 1-under 70 landed Sweden's Henrik Stenson, bidding to become Scandinavia's first major champion, tied for second and in the last group out Saturday with Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Stenson is fondly remembered as the man who stripped down to his underwear to play a shot from near a water hazard at a CA Championship at Doral in 2009. And for winning The Players Championship the same year by blowing away Tiger Woods with a final-round 66.

On Sunday, he could write a whole new chapter.

"Obviously with the two rounds in red figures, I'm keeping it, scoring-wise, pretty tight and not making too many mistakes," he said. "I felt like I've played the course pretty conservative, but still done well out of it for the first two days."

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Stat of the day

3 Past major winners (former Open champions Paul Lawrie and Todd Hamilton and former U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy) who will play the weekend after making the cut on the number (plus-8).

Tweet of the day

"Unfortunately the guys this afternoon will struggle with a few pin positions. 8th hole is a joke, 18th needs a windmill & clown face." — Ian Poulter after a morning 72, including a sand save on No. 18.

Day 3

Tiger Woods tees off with Westwood in the second-to-last group at 9:10, 10 minutes before Jimenez and Stenson.

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Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium lines up a putt on the 11th green during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at Muirfield, Scotland, Thursday July 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Colsaerts (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Lee Westwood of England looks at his ball on the 18th green after playing out of a bunker during the second round of the British Open Golf Championship at Muirfield, Scotland, Friday July 19, 2013. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Westwood (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Henrik Stenson of Sweden plays a shot on the third hole during the second round of the British Open Golf Championship at Muirfield, Scotland, Friday July 19, 2013. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Stenson (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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