KEY POINTS:
Two disappointing rounds from Michael Campbell dashed his hopes of making the cut for the Irish Open today.
Campbell was cut from the euro2.5 ($4.69) million event with rounds of 77 and 76 for a nine over par tally on the Adare Manor course just south of Limerick.
It is the second week in succession Campbell has been cut from an event after he posted scores of 75 and 79 in last week's Players Championship in Florida.
In tough, squally conditions just seven players managed to remain in red figures on a host course officially the longest in the event's 80-year history.
Ireland's Padraig Harrington justified his No 12 world ranking to head the field on three under par.
The overwhelming Irish crowd favourite carded a second round 68 spoilt only by a bogey at the last with Harrington now hoping to become the first Irish-born winner in 25 years.
Three players -- England's Simon Wakefield (72), Sweden's Johan Backstrom (71) and Argentina's Andres Romero (74) -- tied in second spot on two under par.
The seven players under par after 36 holes were all out in the morning half of the draw while Campbell was among 78 competitors teeing-up in the afternoon when conditions were at their worst.
Strong winds lashed the course causing havoc, particularly in the exhibition area with tents and marquees the most concern for officials.
Nearby Shannon Airport reported several wind gusts over 80km/h.
Heavy rain showers also hit the parkland course that is the fifth longest ever to host a European Tour event.
Campbell was off to a bright start with a first hole birdie but then dropped three shots over the four holes before back-to-back bogeys at the 11th and 12th holes saw him fall to nine over par.
He managed a second birdie of the round at the par four 14th hole to give himself some hope of making the cut but that hope was erased when he dropped a shot at the par four 17th ahead of a closing hole par which left him two shots beyond the seven over par cut-off mark.
"It was just brutal out there and one of the toughest days of golf I've ever experienced," Campbell said.
"I got off to a good start but it was just so difficult out there and all a matter of just hanging in there and trying to keep the bogeys off the card.
"I thought I might just scrape through to the weekend but the bogey on 17 hurt me and it's disappointing but then that's golf."
The former US Open champion has plenty of company with the weekend off as five other former Irish Open winners, in a field boasting 10 past champions, also missed the cut.
Among those was Welshman Stephen Dodd, winner of the 2005 and competing in the same group as Campbell for the opening two rounds.
Dodd carded scores of 75 and 80 with his second round ending with a triple bogey eight.
- NZPA
