Bernd Wiesberger / Image: GEPA pictures
Bernd Wiesberger made the cut at the 149th British Golf Open. The veteran from Burgenland played a par round (70) at the $ 11.5 million event on Friday and just managed to qualify for the weekend with a total of 141 strokes and 65th place. Styrian Matthias Schwab missed the cut by two strokes. With two fantastic laps and a new British Open record, South African Louis Oosthuizen maintained the lead.
Wiesberger had remained below expectations in the previous three major tournaments of the year with 40th place at the Masters in Augusta and missed cuts at the US Open and the US PGA Championship. An early failure threatened him in the Royal St. George's Club in Sandwich (Kent). The 35-year-old started badly with three bogeys on the first five lanes, but had a birdie on holes eight and nine. On holes 12 to 14 there was an up and down with birdie-bogey-birdie, then he brought the par round into the clubhouse.
After a round of 71, Schwab needed 72 strokes on the second day and was eliminated with a total of three over par (97th place). Three bogeys on the first nine holes threw him back decisively, on lane 13 he could only make up one stroke. “A great golf event. My biggest tournament I've played so far. The long game was good on both days. It would have been possible to make the cut if I hadn't postponed too many short putts,” explained Schwab.
Oosthuizen in the lead
Oosthuizen, who won the British Open eleven years ago at the “Home of Golf” in St. Andrews, set a British Open record over two rounds with almost flawless rounds of 64 and 65 strokes. With the 129 strokes he undercut the record of the Englishman Nick Faldo from 1992 by one stroke.
Behind Oosthuizen, practically all favorites have placed themselves in very good positions. The Americans Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka as well as the Spaniard Jon Rahm are between three and six strokes behind. Northern Ireland star Rory McIlroy, on the other hand, has no more hopes for the fifth big title of his career at an early stage.
