All four Irish Major winners are in trouble on day two of the BMW PGA Championship on the West Course at Wentworth, with Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke set to miss the cut by a significant tally.
They will be joined by US Open champion Rory McIlroy who has made the turn in 37 shots after a costly double at the par four 8th hole.
On four over par on the inward journey he now needs a birdie blitz to get inside level par and ensure a stays for the weekend – and also hang on to his world number one ranking.
Also struggling is fellow Horizon Sports stable mate, Graeme McDowell,but who is still within stroke or two of making the cut, after making the turn on +1. But with little chance of winning the tournament one imagines, and build on his good work at the Volvo Match play at Finca Cortesin, with the club house lead posted at 12 under.
Shane Lowry also on plus one, looks to have missed the cut as well as he finished on one under overall .
Open Champion Darren Clarke missed another chance to kick start his season after coming home in 77 strokes on Friday. It now looks like the next scheduled event is the place where momentum can happen for him, with the Irish Open looming in a few weeks at his home course at Royal Portrush.
Not to mention the Open at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s, where he will be due to hand back the claret jug which he won in such style last July. So far that achievement has not added to his titles and seems to be a burden that has affected his game.
Similarly, Padraig Harrington is battling out the last few holes having reached plus eight after a disastrous opening day. The talk of Wentworth being the place to build on the good work he has been doing over pre-season has proved premature. So it will be an early flight back to Weston Aerodrome on Friday night for three time major winner.
Across the cut line the news is better and the names are perhaps less renown.
One of the two Irish PGA professionals is looking assured, as former European Challenge Tour player, David Higgins, is tipping around Wentworth safely on 3 under as he cleared the seventeenth green. A vast improvement on his last two visits where he missed the cut through one or two costly wayward shots.
Barrie Trainor is level par having just teed off and dropped a shot after a bogey on the first.
Paul McGinley is also level par having signed for a second day 71 and should be safely through to Saturday's pairings.
Damien McGrane is one under and completed his Friday round in level par 72.
Michael Hoey is still on course and by the seventh had claimed two birdies to help make up for the two doubles he carded on the back none in round 1. Now, at one under the Hassan II Trophy winner is moving in the right direction.
Gareth Maybin has moved in the same direction with a front nine completed in 33 strokes contributing to his success. An eagle then on the twelfth saved the damage from a bogey on the previous hole, and after the sixteenth is 2 under – but with a colourful card.
But it is at the top of the leader board where Peter Lawrie drives the Irish challenge ending the first two days five shots off the leader - in a share of 4th place with only two blemishes over the two rounds on the final stretch on Friday - for a 71. He has been leapfrogged by a couple of players, including Luke Donald who signed for a 68 to share third place with David Dryable on -8.
All chasing leader James Morrison on 12 under after a round of 64.
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