Golf: Smail makes PGA cut

Kiwi golfer David Smail (pictured at the New Zealand Men's Open Championship in March), has has secured his first cut at a major tournament at the PGA Championship at Hazeltine in Minnesota. File photo / Getty Images

MINNESOTA - New Zealand golfer David Smail was left fuming after his group was put on the clock mid round on day two of the US PGA Championship at Hazeltine in Minnesota.

Smail made it through to the opening two rounds in his maiden US PGA showing with scores of 75 and 73 for a four-over par tally and right on the halfway cut off mark.

Smail's effort makes amends after the 39-year old Hamilton player sat out the closing two rounds of this year's US Open and British Open championships.

But while Smail was delighted with his efforts on the longest venue in Major's history, he was far from pleased with the events that unfolded on the par five, third hole that he was playing as his 12th.

Smail eventually walked away with a double bogey to drop back to four over par, but then hung on grimly to par his remaining six holes and ensure his place over the weekend.

"I had hit a good drive down the middle but then my second shot then just ran off into the first cut of rough before I hit my third 'fat' that landed on the fourth tee," he said.

"I had no shot from there and managed to get it on the green.

"It was then a rules official came up to the group to say we were being put on the clock.

"But it's just disturbing that a rules official should put us on the clock when one player in our group, and I am not naming names, but there was one guy in our group and he was the reason we were out of place and behind the group ahead."

The player in question was 47-year old American Michael Miles, also competing in his first US PGA.

Miles is the Assistant Professional at the Virginia Country Club course in Long Beach, California and qualified for the event after finishing tied 16th in the 2009 PGA Professional National Championship.

Miles, who also qualified for June's US Open, buckled under the weight of a second round 81 to miss the cut with a nine over par total.

"We were slow and we were at least a hole behind, so we deserved to be on the clock," Smail admitted.

"But it's just disappointing when one of your playing partners just doesn't try to make the effort to catch up. If he did, we wouldn't have been on the clock, and we wouldn't have to worry."

Smail went to the next tee fuming and it took the intervention of his wife, Sheree, who was walking with her husband, to defuse his anger.

"I have always been a quick player and Sheree knows my game, and she was watching from the sidelines signalling to me to calm down," Smail said.

"But I found myself starting to rush my shots so it did take a while to settle down."

It is the second event in succession where a rules official has intervened. Ireland's Padraig Harrington also began rushing his shots after he and Tiger Woods were informed they were on the clock with three holes remaining of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.

Harrington later accepted the blame but Woods went close to incurring a fine for his criticism of the rules official.

Smail put aside his disappointment to join 61 other players who will compete over the final two days.

"It's nice to make the cut in my first US PGA Championship and that was the goal this week," Smail said.

"Hopefully over the next few days I can scoot further up the leader board.

"If I play like I did today and hole a few more putts and shoot a couple of rounds under par then that would be nice."

But while Smail was pleased with his efforts, Michael Campbell was arranging for an early return flight to London.

Campbell crashed out of his 17th event in 18 starts this year with scores of 80 and 79 for a dismal 15-over par tally.

Campbell's second round was a litany of seven bogeys after a first day display that included three double bogeys and three bogeys.

The former US Open champion's only bright spot was a ninth hole birdie on day one.

Campbell now has just next year remaining of a five-year exemption for winning the 2005 US Open.

- NZPA