Time’s up for Tom McKibbin at Shock Clock Masters

Rising Irish star Tom McKibbin missed the cut yesterday on his European Tour debut at the inaugural Shot Clock Masters.

The 15-year-old Co. Down amateur adding a 78 to his opening 71 to finish six over par. Finland’s Mikko Korhonen will take a slender lead into the third round at Diamond Country Club where none of the field were penalised for slow play for the second day running.

Korhonen has not dropped a shot in 36 holes after adding a 67 to his opening 68 for a halfway total of nine under par, a shot ahead of England’s Steve Webster and South African Justin Walters.

Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez had been four shots clear when he reached 10 under par, but the 54-year-old dropped three shots in his last three holes to finish seven under alongside home favourite Matthias Schwab, Ashun Wu and Jeppe Huldahl.

This week’s event in Austria is the first in professional golf to time every shot from all 120 players in the field, with a digital clock operated by a referee mounted on a buggy which follows each group.

Players have 50 seconds to take their shot if they are first to play, including tee shots on par threes, or 40 seconds for tee shots on other holes or when second or third to play.

They face a one-shot penalty for each bad time incurred, but none were handed out as the players quickly adapted to the experimental format.