July 19th 2013, Muirfield, Scotland: Already the oldest winner in European Tour history, Spain's Miguel Angel Jiménez now has the chance to become the oldest Major Champion as well in the 142nd Open Championship.
American Julius Boros has held that distinction since winning the US PGA Championship in 1968 aged 48, but 49 year old Jiménez claimed the halfway lead at a parched Muirfield thanks to a second round of 71.
Shiv Kapur of India will aim to recreate his opening day magic after shooting a six-over-par 77 at the halfway stage of The Open Championship on Friday.
Like most in the elite field, Kapur struggled on a tough scoring day but took consolation when he made his first ever cut at a Major tournament.
Ranked fourth at the start of the day, he slipped back when he shot four-over in the opening six holes. He traded another two birdies against four bogeys for a three-over-par 145 total.
The Indian rued bad breaks as his ball was plugged in the bunker on the fourth hole and he uncharacteristically shanked his shot on 17.
“It was a tough start. This is not a golf course where you can fight and get a lot of shots back, it is more a question of hanging on. When you get off to a bad start, you are trying to hang on because there are not too many birdie opportunities,” said Kapur.
“I thought I did a pretty good job after the bad start but unfortunately I had that dreaded ‘S’ word on the 17th hole. I had a wedge in there but shanked my shot. I did well to make bogey.
“I managed to keep big numbers off my card. I made a bunch of bogeys but at least I kept it down. My ball was plugged on the fourth hole. When I tried to play it to the left, the ball hit the lip, came back down and plugged even further in the bunker. I’m happy I made up-and-down for bogey when it could have been worst,” he reflected.
Despite moving backwards on the leaderboard, Kapur, who is ranked 13th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, gave himself a pat on the back for making his first cut in his second appearance at The Open since 2006.
“I think one consolation today was that I managed to hang in there and be in the mix somewhere. Hopefully I can recreate some of the magic which I did yesterday,” said Kapur, the 2005 Asian Tour Rookie of the Year.
“You have a great field of players here and if you are in the top-70 then you know you got game. Obviously that’s one stumbling block out of the way and I just need to move up the leaderboard as much as I can.”
Jiménez, who broke his leg in a skiing accident last December shortly after winning the Hong Kong Open aged 48 and 318 days, carded two birdies and two bogeys to finish three under par, one ahead of England's Lee Westwood, World Number One Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson and Sweden's Henrik Stenson.
The hard and fast conditions claimed a number of high-profile victims, with Brandt Snedeker and Phil Mickelson four-putting the 15th and 16th greens respectively, Ryder Cup star Nicolas Colsaerts taking nine on the 15th and US Open Champion Justin Rose, World Number Two Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald missing the cut.
Jiménez is famous for his love of cigars and red wine and would therefore be a fitting winner of the Claret Jug on Sunday, especially 25 years after the late Seve Ballesteros' last Open victory at Lytham.
"It would be very nice," he said.
"I've been 25 years on the Tour, 19 victories on the Tour, and I would love to have a Major in my career, of course. Why not this one? I would love it. It's amazing, you know.
"Of course I feel pressure, anything that is important to you makes you feel pressure, but as long as I can handle it there is no problem."
Westwood - who has had nine top-ten finishes in his last 17 Majors - had reached five under when he raced to the turn in 31 and then birdied the 12th, but even dropping three shots in his last six holes could not dampen the 40 year old's mood after a 68.
"It's a Major and I love playing The Open Championship," said Westwood, who recently enlisted the help of Woods' coach Sean Foley on his long game and 1991 Open Champion Ian Baker-Finch - a neighbour since his winter move to Florida - on his putting as he seeks a first Major title.
"It's the biggest event of the year for me. Why not enjoy it out there? It's tough for everybody so smile your way through it.
"I thought one over would be right in contention so to be two under is a real bonus. The greens were a little softer this morning. I repaired a pitch mark on the second and third but that was about it as far as that was concerned.
"I was pleased to be six under through 12. I was playing some great stuff and it was just getting harder as the holes progressed."
Woods, whose last Major title came in the 2008 US Open, carded two birdies in his first five holes but then had to wait until the 18th for another after dropping shots at the eighth and 11th.
"I'm in a good spot," the 37 year old said.
"I've just got to continue plodding along, continue just being patient, putting the ball in the right spots.
"We're not going to get a lot of opportunities out there but when I have I've been able to capitalise and hopefully I can continue doing that."
From the start of his professional career, Woods played in 46 consecutive Major Championships and won 14 of them. Since the last of those victories five years ago there have been 20 more. Woods has played in 16 and won none.
"I've been right there, I give myself chances. I've had chances on the back nine of many of those Sundays," he added.
"Just one of those things where I haven't gotten it done.
"I'm not going to win every Major I play in, but certainly I can try and put myself there. If I give myself enough opportunities, I'll get my share, and I think I have so far in my career."
