British Open / Steven Rawlings / 18 July 2009 / Leave a comment

Steve has a few live chances going into the weekend, including his hero of the last two weeks, Martin Kaymer. But it's still all about Tom at Turnberry.

It was a great start to day two of the British Open, with one of my original bets, and the one I was most bullish about before kick-off, Ben Curtis, birdying the first to move alongside overnight pacesetter Miguel Angel Jimenez, but by the time I'd made breakfast and harried the kids off to school he'd bogeyed four of the next five holes and was looking a lost cause, and indeed he was. Going on to take 15 shots more than he had on Thursday, his horrid round of 80 was enough to see him miss the cut by a solitary stroke. It was disappointing to say the very least.

The morning session was very hard on the players, with wind and rain causing mayhem, and high scores were the norm. Then the weather seemed to improve around lunchtime and I was cursing my luck, with most of my picks having been out early, but as the afternoon wore on the wind and rain returned and it was just as tough, if not tougher for the latter starters.

The story on Thursday had been Tom Watson's incredible first round but he somehow managed to eclipse that yesterday, and there simply aren't enough superlatives for the man. Having birdied the first he went on a horrible run, bogeying five out of the next six holes and surely that was the end of this year's fairytale. But ole Tom was having none of it, the worse the weather got, the better he seemed to play and incredibly, he picked up four birdies coming home and now sits alongside Steve Marino atop of the leaderboard with two round to go. Last year's performance by Greg Norman was one thing, but this is something else. The blokes nearly 60 for heavens sake!

In stark contrast to Watson, for the first time ever, Tiger Woods appeared to almost give up. He came to the tough holes, around the turn, when the weather was at its worst and dropped shots like confetti. He did manage a couple of late birdies but it was too just too little too late and for the first time in a Major since the US Open of '96, he has missed the cut.

Going into the weekend, Vijay Singh, who I backed on Thursday at [55.0], looks to be my best chance. Finishing his round birdie-eagle-par, he's now just two shots behind Watson and Marino.

Best of my original picks is [1000.0] shot James Kingston, who's a further shot back on -2 but he's still available at a whopping [120.0].

Martin Kaymer is a further shot back and is certainly not out of it. He looked like he may have been halfway through his round yesterday though, but a three under par back nine has kept hopes alive and having finished early, his name just kept creeping up the leaderboard all afternoon. The young German has already rewarded me handsomely in the last two weeks but I wouldn't be at all surprised if he does so again and he still looks a very fair price.

I placed a few more bets yesterday, backing Richard Sterne at [160.0] and Nick Dougherty at [80.0], but both players dropped shots once I'd backed them and both are much bigger to back now.

I wouldn't describe myself as overjoyed with my portfolio as it stands, and Curtis really was a big disappointment, but there isn't anyone I want to add at this point. I really couldn't trust current favourites Lee Westwood and Retief Goosen, so for now I'll just let things roll.

I haven't backed Tom Watson, maybe I should at over [40.0] but logic tells me not to. My bets will pale into insignificance anyway if he can keep this fairytale alive and I'll certainly be cheering him on over the weekend.

Watson said after his round yesterday that he felt the spirits were with him and that he wouldn't be here if he didn't believe he could get his hands on the claret jug for a sixth time.... Now that really would be a story!