Wilson roars back at Johnnie Walker Championship

Aug 29, 2008 - 7:35 PM By Mark Garrod PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PERTSHIRE, Scotland (Ticker) -- Oliver Wilson made the greatest comeback of his golfing career Friday to stay on course for a Ryder Cup debut next month.

Wilson carded a 1-under par 72 in Friday's second round of the Johnnie Walker Championship to survive the halfway cut by the skin of his teeth.

Gregory Havret fired a 2-under 71 and owns a one-shot lead with an overall score of 7-under 139.

At 6-over with 10 holes to play at Gleneagles, the final Ryder Cup qualifying event, Wilson sank an eagle and two birdies.

Minutes later, German Martin Kaymer, Wilson's biggest danger in the race for places on Nick Faldo's team, missed four-foot putts on the final two greens to miss out by one.

"I'm proud of myself," said Wilson, poised now to become the first player ever to play for Europe against the Americans without winning a tournament in his professional career. "That was the biggest round of my career. It was not the front nine I wanted, but it was the back nine I needed."

With Justin Rose and Soren Hansen on the verge of clinching a first cap as well, Wilson now has to hold off the challenge of Nick Dougherty and Ross Fisher.

But Dougherty has to finish first or second on Sunday, and Fisher has to be in the top three - and at halfway they are way down the field at 1-under and even par, respectively.

Kaymer was understandably dejected. As Lee Westwood had feared would be the case, Kaymer felt a victim of greens which the former European No. 1 said should be ripped up before the course stages the 2014 Ryder Cup.

"I was playing very well, but the greens were ridiculous," the 23-year-old Kaymer said. "They were really bumpy. All you could do is hit a good stroke and hope. It was really, really disappointing."

A double-bogey on the third and bogeys at the sixth and seventh holes put Wilson up against it, but he went birdie-eagle-birdie on the next three par-fives.

At the 503-yard 12th, Wilson struck a three-wood to eight feet and on the 543-yard 16th, he hit a driver off the deck over the water and onto the green, from where he two-putted.

There was still some sweating to come because he found sand with his tee shot to the short 17th, but he salvaged his par and finished with another.

"I'm not going to smile because Martin missed the cut, but that's big news," Wilson said. "There's still a long way to go, though."