Brier sticks out as big guns dusted in the desert

GOLF:WORLD NUMBER one Lee Westwood crashed out of the Qatar Masters yesterday as a player ranked 477 places below him became the shock leader.

Austrian Markus Brier, who had to return to the European Tour qualifying school last November, added a 66 to his 71 to reach halfway on seven under par in much less windy conditions than the opening round.

The 42-year-old is one ahead of South African Darren Fichardt, winner of the title in 2003, but himself only 399th in the rankings after losing his tour card four seasons ago.

Westwood just failed with a 30-foot eagle attempt on the final hole and, with a 75, missed the cut by one on four over, while last week’s winner in Bahrain Paul Casey had the same score and bowed out by two.

Westwood’s exit from the event in which he finished third last year followed a 64th-place finish in Abu Dhabi a fortnight ago and it means he could be replaced as number one by Martin Kaymer this weekend.

For that to happen, though, the German needs a top-two finish in Doha and even after improving seven strokes on his opening 77, he made it into the closing 36 holes with nothing to spare and is still 10 adrift of Brier.

Kaymer has been named the European Tour’s Race to Dubai Golfer of the Month for January after winning in Abu Dhabi, a victory that made him the quickest player to reach €10 million in career earnings on the circuit. He did it in just 100 events.

Without a single top-20 finish on the circuit all last year, Brier came through the qualifying school by the skin of his teeth, but still needed a sponsor’s invitation for a place in this week’s field.

“I’m very grateful and I hope I can make the most of it,” he said. “Last year I didn’t play well at all, but the game is still there.”

His round was bogey-free, while Fichardt mixed eight birdies with four dropped shots for a 68.

Defending champion Robert Karlsson (69) shares third place with Dane Thomas Bjorn, who shot a best-of-the-day 65, and England’s Richard Finch, whose 69 included an eagle two at the driveable 307-yard 16th.

First-round leader Retief Goosen was still setting the pace with two to play, but while Brier was closing with a 35-foot birdie putt he duffed a chip on the short 17th and double-bogeyed.

That dropped the 2007 winner – his last European Tour success – into a tie for sixth with fellow South African Thomas Aiken and Scot Paul Lawrie, champion in 1999 and round in a fine 66.

At least Westwood and Casey did not react to missing the cut like their former Ryder Cup team-mate Henrik Stenson.

The Swede turned in 31, but came home in 42 and en route to a quadruple-bogey nine on his final hole flung a wedge over his shoulder and into the lake behind.

World number seven Steve Stricker, making his first trip to the Middle East, survived the cut on the limit of three over like Kaymer thanks to birdies at the 15th and 16th.

Darren Clarke turned his fortunes around to make the cut on the number as a 69 left him on three over after an opening 78.

Michael Hoey (73) and Paul McGinley (70) also scraped into the weekend but Damien McGrane (75) and Peter Lawrie (77) missed out after both finished on five over.