Wentworth Diary

Today's other golf stories in brief

McGinley hangs in there

So, you think men can't multitask? Paul McGinley made the cut at Wentworth yesterday, shooting a second-round 69 for 143, but rather than head directly to the practice range, the Ryder Cup player had the more immediate matter of collecting his daughter Maia from school.

McGinley had worked on the range with coach Bob Torrance until late on Thursday evening in an attempt to figure out what was wrong with his game yet still found himself on the ropes for much of the day.

Although he had seven birdies in his second round, McGinley's homeward run was blighted by a run of two bogeys and a double-bogey on the back nine that threatened him with a missed cut until he rescued matters by birdieing the final three holes.

"I can't tell you how much I'm battling with my game at the moment," he said. "It is just grit getting me through because there is not a lot of quality in my golf. I'm just trying to get the ball in play and let my short game take over. I'm not controlling the ball."

Indeed, so fearful was he of missing the cut - and demonstrating his lack of confidence - he hit a five-wood off the 18th tee, laid up with a six-iron on his approach and then hit a lob wedge to six feet and sank the birdie putt.

It was with relief that McGinley got to sign for his 69, although two contrasting hat-tricks of birdies in one round - firstly from the fourth, then from the 16th in - would suggest his concern is something of an over-reaction.

McGinley, didn't see it that way. "I feel like I am in the boxing ring with Mike Tyson, with one hand tied behind my back, and I'm trying not to get hit. That's my psychological frame of mind at the moment. I am just managing to hit the odd jab too when he is not looking."

Casey's classy comeback

No doubt about the comeback man of the tournament.

When Paul Casey shot a quadruple-bogey nine on the 12th hole yesterday, he was left with a mountain to climb. But climb it he did, rescuing a first-round 73 with three finishing birdies. And, yesterday, Casey really got back on track, shooting a 67 to to reach the midway point on 140, four under.

"You can't win this tournament in two days. This is more of an endurance race, and it takes a guy with a good temperament to deal with this golf course . . . I'd love to be top of the leaderboard come Sunday."

Eagles landed

Two Argentinian golfers certainly had their eyes in yesterday: Angel Cabrera recorded an eagle two on the first hole, his eight-iron from 173 yards going straight into the hole; while Andres Romero holed his second shot on the par-four 11th, pitching in from 101 yards.