Young gun Graeme McDowell survived three holes from hell to make his first cut as a pro.

But there were tears for pal Michael Hoey as he slumped to a two over par 73 to miss out by six.

The young guns had captured the imagination of the Irish golfing public but only McDowell was able to rise to the occasion this time.

And now that the pressure is off, Rathmore kid McDowell is set to make a run at the leaders today.

But he had to sweat in the end to make the cut right on the one under par limit.

One under par with three to play he finished like a veteran with three solid pars for his 71.

"I had a fair idea about the cut. I had a feeling that level par might not be enough and that if I dropped a shot coming in I wouldn't make the cut.

"I hit an okay seven iron into seven and made two putts and then had to hole a five foot return for par at the eighth. At nine I just didn't want to go right so I hit it way left and wedged to the bottom tier and two putted. But it wasn't a nice feeling.

"I wasn't nervous. But it wasn't a fun position to be in and I was happy enough to be in for the weekend. I'm playing the easy nine holes badly. I'm making bad mistakes and making bogeys from the middle of the fairway and you can't be doing that out here.

"I made a few changes on the range and then on the 18th I didn't want to go anywhere near the green but my two iron lay up hit the back of the bunker that's short of the green and shot off into the water.

"Then I made a double bogey from the middle of the fairway in the second, missed the green and then had three whacks. At that pint of the round I felt really down because I had worked hard to get where I was and then threw it al away.

"Birdied the fifth from three feet but gave it back at the sixth when I leaked the tee shot into the bunker and then couldn't get it up and down."

Hoey needed something special to make the cut but put himself under pressure with a bogey at the second.

"I need to improve a lot," he said disconsolately. "I trying to change the way I hit the ball and I'm not making the cuts. I'm a little disappointed but there's always next week.

But there was joy for old guard Philip Walton and Eamonn Darcy.

The Darce came home in four under par 31 for a superb 68 to finish just four behind the leader on five under.

"It was hard out there today and I struggled on the back nine but I had no pressure today as this is my second last tournament and I got a few birdies coming home."

Walton shot a two under par 69 to make the cut with a shot to spare on two under.

"I'm hitting it great off the tee and I'm going to give it an lash tomorrow. Just need a few more putts to fall and I'll be fine."

There was double disappointment for amateurs Colm Moriarty and Noel Fox.

Moriarty shot a two under par 69 to finish on level par but missed an eight foot birdie putt at the 18th to miss out by one as Fox had 75 for a six over par total.

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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