Date: February 20, 2009
Author: Paul Barbieri at the Vines, Sportal

Norman misses cut

Greg Norman has missed the cut at the Johnnie Walker Classic at the Vines, despite signing off for a one-under 71 in his second round on Friday. The Shark appeared on track to play into the weekend in Perth, picking up three strokes in his first eight holes after posting a disappointing three-over 75 in his first round. But, having made it back to even par overall, Norman&aposs short game let him down badly on the par five 10th hole, the 54-year-old chipping wildly from one side of the green to the other for a double-bogey seven he never recovered from. Instead he will be forced to look on as joint leaders Anthony Kang of the United States and Irishman Damien McGrane fight it out from 10-over-par, although they are under serious pressure from three players just a stroke behind. Spaniard Ignacio Garrido and Hiroyuki Fujita of Japan are both at nine-under after four-under 68 rounds on Friday, but neither would have expected to be joined by New Zealand amateur Danny Lee, the 18-year-old showing years of composure as he posted a 68 as well. Norman, though, wasn&apost the only big name to miss the cut. His second-round playing partner, world No.12 Camilo Villegas also missed it by two strokes, the Colombian&aposs rounds of 72 and 71 not good enough to play on into the weekend. In Norman&aposs favour, his 10th hole wasn&apost as bad as his other playing partner Lee Westwood&aposs attempts to sink the third, the Englishman earning quadruple bogey for the par five hole. But, despite a one-over 73 on Friday, Westwood will play on after his first-round 66 ensured he&aposs just five strokes behind the leaders. Leading at the halfway point, Kang has scored two consecutive five-under 67 rounds while McGrane joined him atop the leaderboard late on Friday with a solid four-under 68 score to go with his first-up 66. Having won the Malaysian Open last weekend, the in-form Kang is aiming for his second tournament win in a row. There are four Australians in a nine-strong tie for sixth, two strokes adrift of the leaders. Andrew Dodt and WA-born Terry Pilkadaris both produced bogey-less six-under 66 rounds to move into contention, while Andre Stolz was a little less consistent, his eight birdies combined with three bogeys. Adam Blyth is also at eight-under, having completed a second consecutive four-under 68, the 27-year-old Queenslander maintaining the good form that saw him finish 10th in Malaysia after leading at the halfway point. The four Australians are alongside American favourite Anthony Kim, who has also hit two 68s, along with overnight leader Robert-Jan Derksen, who could not add to his first-up 64, despite enjoying an eagle on his first hole on Friday. One shot further back, England&aposs Graeme Storm and South African David Frost both enjoyed the best rounds of the day, having signed off on eight-under 64s for their second rounds. But while Frost recorded a steady eight-birdies, Storm&aposs performance was more notable, the Englishman at one-over after seven holes before hitting two eagles in succession to kickstart a fine run over his back nine. Storm is alongside fellow England national Ian Poulter, who managed a second-round three-under 69 and Scottish Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie, who signed off on a two-under 70 on Friday. And, after Iain Steele scored the only hole-in-one on Thursday, he was followed by Australian Michael McGrath, whose five iron tee shot at the 173 metre 16th hole, dropped into the cup.