Faldo undoes good work

Nick Faldo charged into contention for the United States PGA championship amid the towering sand dunes of Whistling Straits today – and then gave himself a mountain to climb again.

Nick Faldo charged into contention for the United States PGA championship amid the towering sand dunes of Whistling Straits today – and then gave himself a mountain to climb again.

What had threatened to be the worst major season of Faldo’s long career took on a different complexion when he grabbed five birdies in his second round and climbed from 40th to joint fifth.

But the 47-year-old, who missed the halfway cut in the Masters, United States Open and Open, then bogeyed the final three holes for what was ultimately a desperately disappointing 70.

On the two under par total of 142 Faldo was six adrift of joint leaders Briny Baird and Ernie Els, Baird adding a 69 to his opening 67 and world number two Els grabbing birdies at two of his first three holes.

Darren Clarke, leading by one overnight following his brilliant 65, discovered what a difference a day can make, failing to get out of a bunker on the long 11th – his second – and running up a double bogey seven to be three behind.

Alongside him was Padraig Harrington, who partnering Els also birdied the 408-yard first and then had an eagle chance on the second, but three-putted for par.

One behind them was England’s Luke Donald, who could add only a 73 to his opening 67, while Phil Mickelson – first, second and third in the opening three majors of the year – got to six under, but then had a double bogey and two bogeys before closing with a birdie to stand three under.

Pressing hard for a Ryder Cup debut after his maiden European tour victory in Sweden two weeks ago, Donald was out in the second group of the day at 7.10am and had to wait only three holes for a birdie. But it proved his only one of the day.

He bogeyed the two par threes on the front nine, the 181-yard third and and 221-yard seventh, and said: “I feel I could be quite a few shots better, but hopefully I won’t be too far back at the end of the day.

“I didn’t play quite as well, but the tough was definitely tougher with the tees back and some pins tucked away more.”

Faldo, who missed the event last year, needed a special invitation to return and made the most of it by picking up strokes at the 10th, 11th, 15th and 16th.

Paul McGinley, hero of the Ryder Cup victory two years ago and desperate to make the team again, reached four under as well, but then dropped all the way back to level par with bogeys at the seventh and eighth and then a double bogey on the 361-yard 10th.

He did not let the slide continue, however, and with a 74 finished on the same one under mark as Scotland’s Scott Drummond, the shock Volvo PGA winner playing with a local club professional as a marker after the withdrawals of playing partners Dudley Hart and Frank Lickliter with back trouble.

Colin Montgomerie, currently needing a wild card to be part of the European side once more, remained one over with a 72, but his hopes of qualifying automatically for the team were helped by the fact that 10th-placed Joakim Haeggman easily missed the cut on nine over, the same score as Ian Woosnam.

Justin Rose had to wait to see if he survived on three over, double-bogeying the short seventh – the 16th – and dropping another on the last. He was in no mood to talk afterwards and even had to repair the ninth green after tossing his putter back to his bag.

Later interest centred not only on Clarke and Els, but also on whether Tiger Woods, the player that pair are trying to unseat as world number one, could make the cut.

Woods was down in joint 104th after an opening 75 and had to climb into the top 70. He was three over and the axe was likely to fall at around two over.

He certainly made a good start, pitching to a couple of feet for an opening birdie. But he did the same yesterday.

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