The Open / Steven Rawlings / 16 July 2010 /

After Thursday morning's birdie barrage, the Old Lady bites back and the scoring soars at St Andrews

It's very easy to not get this great championship, to label it a lottery and to just give up on it, but you'd be missing something really special if you did...

I confess, I've been frustrated by it myself this week. Daft enough to put far too much trust in inaccurate or misleading weather forecasts, I've failed to get a decent book. My interpretation of the various forecasts I'd analysed, was that that the wind would be only slightly worse in the afternoon for round two. I was wrong, it was that bad that play was suspended for just over an hour because balls were moving on the green and those players that enjoyed the benign conditions of Thursday morning paid for it on Friday afternoon, and with interest.

I feel for Rory McIlroy and for his backers, the first round leader was blown apart in the afternoon wind, and he's still not shot a round in the 70's around St Andrews - he's now had a plethora in the 60's and Friday's miserable 80. He shouldn't feel too bad though, many others suffered too - the likes of Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Justin Rose and even last year's hero Tom Watson ....all got battered in the abysmal conditions and they've all missed the cut.

One man that didn't get battered though is the halfway leader, South African Louis Oosthuizen, who his friends call Shrek - there is a resemblance, albeit only slight. Out in the second group at 6.40am for round two, he avoided the worst of the wind and followed Thursday 65 with an impressive 67, and leads the Championship by a whopping five shots from veteran Marc Calcavecchia, who was in third place at this stage 12 months ago before a weekend flop.

As for my bets, six of my pre-event picks have made it through to the weekend but none of them are what you'd call in prime position, with the best being Tiger Woods, in the house on -4. Darren Clarke is also on -4, but he still had three holes left to play when hauled off for bad light.

I've been scared to get too involved in-running. With so much doubt about the weather I've decided to play a waiting game and have struck just two bets so far. I took an average of [500.0] on Y E Yang on day one and I've also added Nick Watney to the portfolio, at [90.0].

Yang was one of many players that drifted out to a ridiculous price on Thursday. He was matched at [990.0], as was Oosthuizen, as layers took the view that afternoon starters on day one had seemingly no chance.

Oosthuizen holds sway in the market now but makes little appeal at the price. He finished his second round at around 11.30 and wont tee off in round three until late on Saturday - that's a long time to consider the position he's in and Rory has already shown what affect a lead can have on young shoulders.

Tiger Woods is second favourite and I couldn't be more delighted with his current position. He looked really downbeat as he bogeyed the first two holes of round two, and I feared he could easily miss the cut. His body language was poor and his putting poorer, but he hung in there like only he can. It was a gritty and determined performance that will give him plenty of encouragement for the weekend.

There really are plenty in with a chance now so I'm going to wait for my next move. If you take out young Louis it's a very congested leaderboard and so much can happen, now that the weather is going to improve - if the forecast can be believed that is!

Lee Westwood was grumbling away after his second round, he felt his score hadn't reflected his play, but his mood must have improved as the afternoon wore on. He and fellow Englishman, Paul Casey, look to have a great chance to open their Major accounts now. And Graeme McDowell must feel he has a chance to follow up his US Open success. It looks too hard to call at this stage and, just as it does for the players in these tough conditions, a patient approach may just pay dividends.

It was an absorbing, frustrating and gruelling day two, but those fans that hung around until late, with the clock fast approaching 10.00pm, were rewarded for their endurance, as the last two groups to play the final hole treated them to some real magic. Firstly, Tiger Woods hit a peach of a tee-shot before just missing an eagle putt. Then Tom Watson, playing the famous 18th for possibly the last time, only narrowly missed for eagle himself, chipping up from off the green.

With many players still to complete round two, play will start early on Saturday, at 6.30am, so it's going to be another long day. I'll post an update at some stage on Saturday but it might be quite late. This Championship's not yet got to the halfway stage but I'm already exhausted, and I'm only watching!

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