Heineken Classic: Faldo out

Nick Faldo crashed out of the Heineken Classic in Perth today.

Faldo missed the cut in the Heineken Classic in Perth after firing a three-over-par total of 147.

And by his own admission, the six-time Major winner played "lousy".

His effort followed his best solo performance for four years - a third place finish in South Africa a fortnight ago.

It was not a good day either for overnight leader Dean Robertson.

The Scot added a 74 to his opening 65 to fall four behind the two new pacesetters, Dane Steen Tinning and Australian left-hander Nick O'Hern.

Greg Norman was alongside him on the five-under-par mark of 139 after a double bogey six at the 396-yard fifth led to a 73 and hit his hopes of a first victory for three years.

Faldo sensed his luck might not be in at his very first hole, the 538-yard 10th.

He looked to have copied Robertson when his pitch for an eagle went into the hole, but then came out again and spun right off the green.

Instead of a three he took a bogey six and walked off thinking to himself: "OK, I've got the message."

Three over par as a result, any chance he had of fighting back and surviving to the weekend went when he double-bogeyed the 375-yard second, and three birdies in the last six holes - the first of them coming when he holed a bunker shot - were too little, too late.

"Even though it's my first time on this course I should be able to handle that, but I played lousy," said the 43-year-old after his 73.

Faldo had hoped the tournament would further boost his hopes of a Ryder Cup return in September, but he added: "Everything I did well in Johannesburg I didn't do well here."

He is staying in Australia to play in next week's Greg Norman Holden International in Sydney.