Harrington to make Open cut

Defending champion Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy were set to see out the weekend at the Open Championship this evening after matching rounds of 74 left them three over.

Paul McGinley was also safe as windy conditions proved testing, carding a 71 and in the clubhouse for two over.

Darren Clarke was still hopeful of a weekend berth at three over on the 13th, while Graeme McDowell was two holes ahead on two over.

However Tiger Woods was facing an uphill battle, four over par at the 11th, while Colin Montgomerie looked certain to miss out on five over.

After an opening 71, Woods birdied the par-five seventh today to get back to level par, but promptly bogeyed the next two holes to drop back to two over at the turn.

And the world number one then lost a ball after a wild tee shot on the 10th to run up a double-bogey six, leaving him one shot outside the projected cut mark and in danger of missing only his second cut in 49 majors as a professional.

American Steve Marino, who had to use his father as a passport courier to take up his place in the Open, set the clubhouse target at Turnberry.

Marino began the day three off the lead held by Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez, the 45-year-old having equalled the lowest first round in Open history with his 64 yesterday.

But as Jimenez and many others failed to cope with a strong wind on the Ayrshire links, Open debutant Marino carded a second round of 68 for a five-under-par halfway total of 135.

Marino was originally third reserve for the championship and only received a call-up on Sunday, by which time he had dispatched his father from Virginia to Florida to collect his passport and post it to Illinois, where he was playing in the John Deere Classic.

“I’ve played four links rounds ever, two practise rounds and then the first two rounds," said Marino.

"They have links courses in the States, but I wouldn’t really call them links; it’s not like it is over here.

“But it’s awesome, I’m really just enjoying it and having fun. I’m just having a blast.”

Marino was one shot ahead of 1989 Open champion Mark Calcavecchia, who added a 69 to his opening 67 to finish four under par.

Overnight leader Jimenez was another shot back on three under after an inward nine of 34 helped him salvage a round of 73, while England’s Ross Fisher, South African Retief Goosen and Japan’s Kenichi Kuboya were also on the same mark.

Fisher, who is ready to pull out of the event at any minute if his wife Jo goes into labour, birdied three of the last four holes for a 68, while former US Open champion Goosen recorded a 70.