Poulter and Faldo miss Open cut

The 138th Open, Turnberry
Date: 16-19 July
Coverage: Live TV coverage on BBC Two, Online and the Red Button, live on Radio 5 Live and text commentary online on all four days

By Ged Scott
BBC Sport at Turnberry

Poulter was runner-up at last year's Open Championship

Hertfordshire's Ian Poulter suffered the other side of the Open experience as last year's runner-up missed the cut at Turnberry on Friday.

Second to Padraig Harrington at Birkdale in 2008, Poulter had high hopes of going one better this year.

But, needing a score to rally from his opening 75, he went the other way, crashing to a 79.

Joining Poulter in making a halfway exit was fellow Hertfordshire golfer, Sir Nick Faldo.

The three-time former Open champion Faldo improved on his first round 78, with a three-over 73.

But Faldo will have to spend his 52nd birthday on Saturday ruminating on a third missed cut in as many Open appearances.

He managed just one birdie, at the 12th, but bogeys at 8, 19, 14 and 18 sent him crashing out on 11 over.

The sharply-dressed Poulter's 79 meant he suffered a sharp halfway exit on 14 over.

A double-bogey six at the second, followed by a triple-bogey seven at the fifth ensured early in his second round that he would miss the cut.

But Poulter was undone by dropping five more shots, at 9, 11, 12 and another double at the short 15th before finding his velvet touch too late with a closing birdie at 17.

The one Hertfordshire man who did make it through to the weekend was Hemel Hempstead-born Luke Donald, who sneaked in on three over.

After a first-day 71, Donald was one worse off after a 72. But that was sufficient to squeeze him in by a couple of shots on two over.

A lively front nine saw him go out in 37 after three bogeys, three birdies and a double bogey six at the fifth.

But, although he dropped another shot at 14, he got it back with a birdie at the long 17th to come home in level-par 35 and ease any fears about making the cut.

The Hertfordshire's Tom Haylock also headed back to the south-east after a second-day 78 to crash out on 12 over.

The young qualifier, playing in his first Open, suffered nine dropped shots and made just one birdie, at the long 17th.