Poulter in full bloom as Rose struggles

Close friends Ian Poulter and Justin Rose share the same lofty ambitions - Major titles and Ryder Cup caps.

But for the moment their careers are on different paths. Poulter has a great chance to win this week’s Barclays Scottish Open, while Rose is out of next week’s Open Championship.

The 23-year-old’s absence from Royal Troon was confirmed today when he could not recover from his opening 79 at Loch Lomond and by missing the halfway cut fell out of the running for the one Open place up for grabs.

Poulter, already exempt, appears to be warming up nicely for it, but has good reason to concentrate on the task at hand first of all. The first prize on Sunday would make him a near-certainty for a debut against the Americans in September.

A second successive 67, again with no bogeys, lifted the 28-year-old from Milton Keynes – just pipped in the qualifying race by Phillip Price three years ago and currently 11th again – onto the eight under par mark of 134 and alongside that man Price again and also the player immediately below him in the cup standings, Swindon’s David Howell.

They are a stroke behind leader Gregory Havret, the Frenchman playing the last six holes in five under late in the day with an eagle on the 13th and then birdies at the 15th, 17th and 18th.

But Poulter spared a thought for 23-year-old Rose, who after leading the Masters for two days in April and then finishing fourth, fifth and seventh in regular US Tour events has suffered some hard knocks in the last month.

“He hasn’t won for a little while (25 months actually) and he wants to win so badly that he may be trying too hard,” said Poulter.

“I don’t think he’s swinging it that bad. He wouldn’t have gone out and shot out 65 on Sunday. I just think he’s a little bit lacking in confidence right now.

“His head might go down a little bit early on the course. If he rolls in a few putts he can make 10 birdies in a round and suddenly everything’s hunky-dory and he’s going to go on and win a tournament.

“He was obviously very disappointed about not getting into the Open through the qualifying (Rose missed out at Sunningdale despite an opening 65) and if everything gets on top of him like it did yesterday it’s just a snowball effect.

“But Justin can kick back in a hurry, shoot the lights out and win golf tournaments.”

Rose improved seven shots in his second round, but knew it was all in vain and said: “I’ll have a few days away next week and try not to see too much television. I might watch Sunday, though.

“I feel like I should be involved, but I fell out of the world’s top 50 at the wrong time and it feels like my momentum has been stopped by something or other. I don’t think the travelling across the Atlantic has taken a massive toll, but this year was always going to be a bit of an experiment.”

As for himself, Poulter commented: “I was a bit disappointed to miss the cut in the US Open by a shot after bogeying the last two holes and I feel that if I do put all four rounds together in one of these Majors then I will win one.

“I’m excited about tomorrow and Sunday, though. The Open is next week.”

Howell equalled the lowest round of his tour career with a brilliant 64 and confessed after an inward 30 which started and finished with a hat-trick of birdies: “I’ve no idea where that came from.

“I was shattered this morning. I didn’t get to sleep until 11.30 and the wake-up call came at 5.30. I’ve been on a long run lately and it does catch up with you.”

The 28-year-old was second to Lee Westwood in 1998, but his only Tour victory remains the 1999 Dubai Desert Classic.

“I’ve led a few times this year after the first round and have had a few text messages from friends saying I’m supposed to lead at the end rather than the start. You can only do your best, but hopefully I can grasp the chance when it comes.”

Price added a 69 to his opening pace-setting 65 to keep his name on an incredibly tightly-packed leaderboard.

Australian Marcus Fraser was also eight under with one to play, but bogeyed it to fall into a group which included 1997 winner Tom Lehman, Geordie Kenneth Ferrie and also Thomas Bjorn, who found it hard to believe that he produced eight birdies in 10 holes just a week after walking out of the European Open “fighting demons” and his game seemingly in crisis.

“I had no expectations at the start of the week and still don’t,” said the Dane, who lost last year’s Open to Ben Curtis from three ahead with four to play.

“I didn’t believe I could turn it around like I have, but it’s not about this week or next week. It’s about building for the future.”

Havret outscored Tom Weiskopf - the 61-year-old former Open champion and course designer - by 26 shots. They were first and last.

The 27-year-old from Paris won the Italian Open three years ago and is part of a real revival in French golf. Only two weeks ago Jean-Francois Remesy became the first home player since 1969 to lift the French Open.

“I don’t really know why, but it is really impressive at the moment,” he said after his 64.

Defending champion Ernie Els remains a threat at four under and so does Colin Montgomerie at five under, but among others to crash out were Masters champion Phil Mickelson, Open champion Ben Curtis, Darren Clarke and Paul Casey.