‘Part-time’ Rafferty survives Seniors cut

Ronan Rafferty and Philip Walton made the halfway cut by the skin of their teeth in the Seniors Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl in south Wales yesterday as German superstar Bernhard Langer strengthened his grip on the title.

Rafferty, in his first year as a senior and only a part-time competitive golfer these days, posted a second round two-over-par 73 for a 36-hole total of 148 — just one stroke inside the cut.

The Newry-born former international, who won the British Boys title at 15 and played Walker Cup golf at 17, had back to back birdies at seven and eight which helped him reach the turn in 35 — and he came home in 38.