Golf- Desert not classic for Monty BreakingNews.ie_471

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Colin Montgomerie missed the cut at the Dubai Desert Classic for the first time in over a decade after slumping to a second-round 79 at Emirates Golf Club.
Montgomerie birdied the final hole in yesterday’s first round to card a one-under-par 71, four shots behind overnight leaders Thomas Bjorn and Robert Karlsson.
The seven-time European number one also birdied the 18th this morning after starting on the 10th, but that was his only birdie of the day and was comfortably outnumbered by bogeys and worse on the testing Majlis layout.
Despite five dropped shots, the Scot was still in with a chance of making the final two rounds   until his misery was completed on the ninth, his final hole.
His approach to the par four found the water in front of the green and after taking a penalty drop, his fourth shot again came perilously close to finding a watery grave as it span off the putting surface.
A chip and two putts later, Montgomerie signed for a seven and inward nine of 41, six over for the tournament and heading for a weekend off.
The 38-year-old missed the cut in his first two visits to Dubai in 1989 and 1990 - the event was not played in 1991-  but had not failed to qualify for the final two rounds since winning the title in 1996.
At the other end of the leaderboard, the early target had been set by Korea’s Charlie Wi, who added a 67 to his opening 68 for a nine-under-par halfway total of 135.
Wi had a hat-trick of birdies on the front nine and went one better with four in a row, coming home to delight his Korean fan club.
‘‘It’s really nice,’’ said the Los Angeles-based 30-year-old, second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit last year.
‘‘When I checked in on Tuesday one of the club members, who is Korean, left a note on his locker which he wanted me to use and his phone number if I ever needed anything.
‘‘I didn’t ring, but he kept calling the club to see how I was and came and said hello on the range and invited me to dinner.
‘‘He took me and my caddie, Mike, out and brought a bunch of Koreans and we’ve been having dinner together every night since.
‘‘I guess they don’t get many visitors from Korea out here, so I suppose it’s nice to see someone familiar to them.’’
Wi had a two-shot lead over midlander John Bickerton, who overcame a wrist injury and a disturbed night’s sleep courtesy of two-year-old son George to add a 68 to his opening 69.
Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance continued to shock himself with his form in his first tournament in five months, the 48-year-old carding a 71 to lie five-under,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, four off the lead.
Torrance also underwent key-hole surgery on his left knee six weeks ago, after feeling his cartilage go ‘‘just wandering around the house’’ and injuries were fast becoming the main topic of conversation.
Ian Woosnam, Torrance’s vice-captain at the Belfry in September, carded a 68 to finish three under despite suffering from blisters on both feet from the new shoes he wore last week.
Overnight joint leader Bjorn, the defending champion,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, was four under after a 73 today, while pre-tournament favourite Ernie Els was among the later starters.
Els, who won his first USPGA Tour title for more than 18 months on Sunday, picked up two birdies in his first five holes to move to six under, three off the lead.
Nick Faldo - who missed the cut in Malaysia last week after three consecutive top-10 finishes   bogeyed the first hole,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, but hit back with birdies at the seventh and 12th to get into red figures at one under.
Ireland's Darren Clarke began with a hat-trick of birdies from the first and another at the 10th, but three dropped shots left him alongside playing partner Faldo on one under.
Padraig Harrington fell back to one over par after carding a 75 this morning, but he is still expected to make the cut.
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