Stricker in; Mickelson misses cut
SOUTHPORT, England — Steve Stricker kept a personal streak alive by making the cut in the British Open, the 25th major championship since 2009 that he has played on the weekend.
Former champions Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington weren’t as fortunate, heading home after failing to get inside the cut line of 5-over par.
Harrington came close, barely missing out on holing a chip on the final hole. Mickelson, meanwhile, added a 77 to the 73 he shot in the first round to finish 10 over.
“Unfortunately, it’s the first cut I’ve missed this year,” Mickelson said. “And I missed it with flair.”
Mickelson, with brother Tim on the bag in place of former longtime caddie Jim Mackay, looked as if he might make a run at playing on the weekend when he opened with a birdie on the first hole. But a triplebogey 7 on the third hole set him back and he made four consecutive bogeys to open the back nine.
“It’s part of the game,” Mickelson said. “I don’t want to put too much stock in it, because I’ve really been hitting the ball well and playing well. So rather than dwell on two rough days here, I’ll go back home and get ready for these upcoming events.”
Stricker, who tied for 16th at both the Masters and U.S. Open this year, has never won a major championship. The 50-year-old opened this one with an even-par 70, then added a 72 in blustery conditions in the second round.
Harrington, who won here the last time the British Open was at Royal Birkdale in 2008, couldn’t believe the chip that would have gotten him inside the cut line didn’t go in. He finished with two 73s.
“It looked like it was going in all right,” he said. “The story of my day.”
Young talent
Competitive golf was not limited to Royal Birkdale this week at the British Open. There was a match down the road at Southport & Ainsdale between the 13-year-old sons of Ian Poulter and John Daly (Dardanelle, Arkansas Razorbacks).
Luke Poulter had a 1-up victory over Little John Daly in eight holes.
The boys returned to the Poulter house, and Poulter reported that one of them was very happy (Luke) and one was upset (Little John). Ian Poulter said it probably didn’t help that Luke was playfully rubbing it in.
Poulter, a longtime thorn in the Americans’ side at the Ryder Cup, smiled and said the boy must have picked that up from his mother.
Shrubs 1, Sergio 0
Masters champion Sergio Garcia was upset and hurt after angrily swinging his club into shrubs on the fourth hole during his second round.
He clutched his shoulder immediately after hurting himself, but continued to play. He ended up with a 69 and was 2 over for the tournament.
Garcia said he was treating the injury with pills and got physical therapy afterward.
“Obviously, I am not happy about it because I almost screwed up my British Open,” Garcia said. “Fortunately for me, I didn’t.”
Friday fail
Justin Thomas got a lot of attention in the first round when he wore a cardigan sweater and loosely fitted tie designed by sponsor Polo Golf.
He also played well, shooting a 3-under-67 to finish the day two shots out of the lead.
He wasn’t so well dressed Friday, and he didn’t play nearly as well. Thomas, who opened with a double bogey, took a nine on the sixth hole after an adventure in the deep rough.
He tried to hack it out of the rough but his hands came off the club and the ball stayed there. He tried it again — same thing. And on the third try, he didn’t see where it went and couldn’t find the ball, leading to a penalty stroke and a drop.
Thomas would shoot 80 and miss the cut.
Respectable finish
Mark O’Meara was embarrassed when he hit the opening tee shot of the British Open out of bounds on his way to an 11-over 81.
He made up for it with a second round more befitting a former champion.
O’Meara, playing in his last Open at the age of 60, shot an even-par 70 in difficult conditions. It wasn’t enough to make the cut, but it did make him feel better.
“I knew the conditions were going to be tough out there today,” said O’Meara, who first played the Open in 1981 and won it in 1998. “I just wanted to play respectable.”
O’Meara got an ovation from the crowd in the grandstands lining the 18th fairway as he walked to the green. He took off his hat and waved it to the fans.
“I felt the warmth of the crowd, obviously coming up the 18th hole,” he said. “I’m not Tom Watson, I’m not Jack Nicklaus, I’m not Arnold Palmer. I’m just a guy who in ‘98 was lucky to win the championship and hoist the claret jug.”