Westwood survives Saujana cut

Lee Westwood was a relieved figure this morning as he survived a nervous final two holes in his second round to make the cut at the Maybank Malaysian Open.

The Englishman was battling to make the cut at two over with two to play when a thunderstorm stopped play on Friday afternoon at Saujana Golf and Country Club’s Palm course, with all of the afternoon starters yet to complete their rounds.

Westwood returned on Saturday and after a par at the 17th, he holed an 18-foot putt for birdie at the final hole to reach the halfway mark at one over.

“I didn’t want to make a bogey on the last hole and miss the cut, so to finish with a birdie was really nice,” said the 1997 winner, who carded a two-under-par 70 in his second round after opening with a 75.

“I played pretty good all day yesterday. I hit five irons on 12 and 14 to four feet for birdies, and I’m driving the ball well.”

Westwood, who also lost in a play-off at the 1998 Malaysian Open, missed the cut on his last appearance at Saujana in 1999. He withdrew from the 2003 tournament at The Mines Resort after two rounds due to heat exhaustion.

Darren Clarke also survived to the weekend after shooting 72 on Friday to find himself right on the cut-line of two over.

Of the players who finished their second rounds on Saturday, Argentina’s Rafael Echenique and American Edward Loar are best placed to challenge overnight leader Chinarat Phadungsil after carding 71s to improve to five under, two shots adrift of the Thai teenager.

Phadungsil, 18, carded a five-under 67 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead over a group of five that also includes Finland’s Mikko Ilonen and the English pair of Simon Dyson and Marcus Higley.