The Open Championship, St Andrews, 15-18 July
Coverage: Live on BBC TV, Red Button, BBC Sport website, with updates on BBC Radio 5 live Full coverage details

By Ged Scott BBC Sport at St Andrews

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Ross McGowan are halted by high winds

Ross McGowan crashed out of the Open at wind-blown St Andrews with an eight-over 80 to miss the cut by two shots.

The Surrey golfer blamed the weather round the Old Course for causing his halfway exit, admitting: "It's as near to impossible as I've ever played."

But McGowan's Surrey colleague Ross Fisher made the weekend on one over despite running up a five-over 77.

And Zane Scotland looked well placed on one under with six to play when play ended on Friday night at 2145 BST.

Fisher, who started the day on four under after his first day 68, dropped four shots on the front nine to go to the turn in 40.

I just did not have a clue on the greens Ross McGowan

But he then came back in 37, dropping two more shots at 12 and 15, but importantly getting a birdie on the long fifth.

And that left him feeling a bit happier than his Cheam neighbour McGowan.

"I played quite well," McGowan told BBC Sport. "But the wind made it so hard that I just lost confidence and lost the speed of the greens."

McGowan went to the turn in 39, birdies at 7 and 9 failing to cancel out two double bogeys at 4 and 8, as well as his first dropped shot of the round at the third when, with the wind at its worst, he missed from just two feet.

Even then at one-under, thanks to his first day four-under 68, he was still in contention to make the weekend.

But a double bogey at the short 11th rocked him back to start a run of five straight fives, including three more bogeys in four holes, as he came home in 41.

"I just did not have a clue on the greens," said McGowan, who racked up 39 putts in his round. "The ball was moving on almost very green.

"Yesterday we had it quite calm. But today at times it was almost unplayable, even after we had the suspension of play for an hour.

"And, at 11, it was just ridiculous. I hit five iron from the right side of green as it was too far to putt it."

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