Four big names in golf, world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, No. 6 Luke Donald, No. 7 Graeme McDowell and No. 17 Ian Poulter all missed the cut and will not play this weekend at the BMW PGA Championship.
Rory McIlroy is having a very poor year thus far in 2013. After an offseason when he signed a megadeal with Nike and completely changed every club in his bag he has struggled to regain the form that made him No. 1 in the world last year.
McIlroy was three-under par through his first 12 holes on Thursday, but when the rain and cold hit the Wentworth Club, he went eight-over par through his last 24 holes.
He obviously still has some work remaining before he tees it up at the U.S. Open at Merion in three weeks.
Luke Donald was the two time defending champion of this event but will not compete on the weekend. He opened with a six-over par 78 for his first round, posted a second round even-par 72, but failed to make the cut by three shots.
Donald has fallen from No. 1 in the world to No. 6 and it appears he will fall even farther down the rankings.
Graeme McDowell won at the RBC Heritage on Hilton Head in mid-April. He won again on the European Tour just last week at the Volvo Match Play in Bulgaria, but he won’t win this week in England.
McDowell posted 74-75 the first two rounds for a total of five-over par and missed the cut by three shots. In his first round on Friday McDowell was even par through 17 holes. The last at Wentworth is a par-5 and he made an untidy double-bogey seven to shoot 74.
In Friday’s wet and cold conditions he shot 37-38 for his 75. He made only two birdies for the two rounds.
Ian Poulter has had two top-10 finishes in seven starts on the PGA Tour in 2013, but is not playing up to the level that everyone expected after his outstanding performance in the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah.
Poulter, like other European players, is able to raise his game to a higher level in team competitions. The question that continues to confound golf fans is why he can’t bring the same intensity that he demonstrates in the Ryder Cup to regular tournaments?
The weather was definitely a factor at the Wentworth Club on Friday, but clear sunny skies will adorn the London area for the weekend and provide a great setting for the final two rounds of the BMW PGA Championship.