Lawrie load of relief as Dubliner makes first cut in 6 months

The pressure shows in Peter Lawrie's face as he grinds to make his first cut in six months in The Championship at Laguna National. Picture: David Lloyd / www.golffile.ie

It was hard work in the end but two gutsy closing pars helped Peter Lawrie make his first cut in more than six months in The Championship at Laguna National.

The 40-year old Dubliner had missed 11 cuts in a row since he saved his tour card by finishing 18th in the final regular season event of 2013 — the ISPS HANDA Perth International at Lake Karrinyup last October.

But after opening with a 68 in Singapore, Lawrie's second round 72 was just enough to make the weekend on the four-under par limit for only the second time in his last 19 starts since he finished tied for 10th in last year's Irish Open at Carton House.

Peter Lawrie gets a drive away in the second round at Laguna National. Picture: David Lloyd / www.golffile.ie

It's been a horrific spell for the former Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year who has struggled with his driving for more than a year and hit just four of 14 fairways but somehow found 14 greens in his second round.

He birdied his first hole, bogeyed the sixth but then birdied the par-five seventh to move comfortably inside the cut mark at five under par.

But as the cut moved up to four under, he bogeyed the 445-yard 16th to find himself sweating in more ways than one in steamy Singapore.

His pars at the last two holes were a true test of character and the Dubliner will now be hoping to make a move over the weekend and finally get some cash on the board in the 2013-14 season.

Ballyclare's Gareth Maybin has also endured a torrid start to the year but the Ulsterman, who is 202nd in the Race to Dubai, carded a bogey free, five under 67 to make just his third cut in eight starts this season and his first in six starts since he finished 65th in Abu Dhabi in January.

Tied for 34th on six under par, 33-year old Maybin is seven strokes adrift of Thailand’s Panuphol Pittayarat, who birdied the final hole of his second round for a 68 that gave him a one-stroke lead over Chilean Felipe Aguilar, Australian Scott Hend and American David Lipsky on 13 under.

“It’s nice to be putting myself in a good position heading into the last two rounds," Pittayarat said. "I rather stay up there than to be chasing the lead actually. I just want to grab my chance and not let it go. I am very happy with myself at the moment.

Simon Thornton had one bogey and six birdies, including three gains in his last four holes, as he also shot 67 to make the cut in joint 48th spot on five under par.

However, it was a disappointing week for Kells' Damien McGrane, who added a 73 to his opening 71 to miss the cut by four shots on level par.

Complete round two scores from Laguna National Golf & Country Club (par 72)

132 S Hend (Aus) 67 65, D Lipsky (USA) 64 68, F Aguilar (Chi) 65 67,

133 A Hansen (Den) 67 66, B Seuk-Hyun (Kor) 66 67, R Gangjee (Ind) 66 67,

134 A Vongvanij (Tha) 65 69, K Broberg (Swe) 65 69,

135 S Jamieson  (Sco) 64 71, C Wood  (Eng) 68 67, T Fleetwood  (Eng) 68 67, C Kim (USA) 67 68, R Derksen (Ned) 68 67,

136 M Perera (Sri) 65 71, P Meesawat  (Tha) 66 70, K Sung-Hoon (Kor) 68 68, A Levy (Fra) 70 66, S Kim (Kor) 69 67, M Warren (Sco) 69 67, B Ruangkit (Tha) 67 69, G Bourdy (Fra) 66 70, S Chowrasia (Ind) 68 68,

137 A Lascuna (Phi) 68 69, N Elvira  (Esp) 68 69, L In-Woo (Kor) 68 69, J Edfors (Swe) 70 67, R Kakko  (Fin) 70 67, A Lahiri (Ind) 67 70, L Ki-Sang (Kor) 68 69, F Calmels  (Fra) 68 69, R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 66 71, B Rumford (Aus) 70 67,

138 Q Quek (Sin) 64 74, L Bjerregaard  (Den) 68 70, L Chih-Bing (Sin) 71 67, A Sullivan (Eng) 69 69, R Karlberg  (Swe) 70 68, T Pilkadaris (Aus) 68 70, S Barr (Aus) 66 72, D Drysdale (Sco) 68 70, P Junhasavasdikul (Tha) 69 69, F Zanotti (Par) 70 68, G Maybin (Nir) 71 67, M Kyong-Jun (Kor) 66 72, C Phadungsil  (Tha) 67 71, V Riu  (Fra) 67 71,

139 W Ormsby (Aus) 68 71, J Singh (Ind) 67 72, J Janewattananond (Tha) 70 69, S Kjeldsen (Den) 68 71, N Dougherty  (Eng) 69 70, K Gi-Whan (Kor) 68 71, R Jacquelin (Fra) 69 70, B Wiesberger  (Aut) 71 68, P Waring  (Eng) 70 69, A Otaegui  (Esp) 69 70, N Fung (Mas) 68 71, C Kumar (Ind) 69 70, S Thornton (Irl) 72 67,

140 R Fisher (Eng) 73 67, C Lee (Sco) 72 68, P Lawrie (Irl) 68 72, J Knutzon (USA) 69 71, K Bi-O (Kor) 68 72, J Campillo (Esp) 73 67, C Nirat (Tha) 71 69, A Dodt (Aus) 70 70, G Stal  (Fra) 70 70, A Da Silva (Bra) 69 71, M Kawamura (Jpn) 70 70, K Byung-Jun (Kor) 64 76,

CUT

141 A Pavan (Ita) 68 73, J Hahn (USA) 72 69, J Jeong (Kor) 71 70, T Levet (Fra) 73 68, H In-Hoi (Kor) 71 70, J Walters (RSA) 70 71, J Kruger (RSA) 72 69, D Singh (Ind) 68 73, K Hyung-Tae (Kor) 69 72, C Plaphol (Tha) 71 70, E Molinari  (Ita) 71 70, K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 73 68, S Hansen (Den) 70 71, M Foster (Eng) 70 71,

142 K Pratt (Aus) 71 71, M Baldwin (Eng) 72 70, L Wei-Chih (Tpe) 69 73, K Tae Hoon (Kor) 68 74, G Charoenkul (Tha) 73 69, M Joong-Kyung (Kor) 76 66, Z Moe (Mya) 70 72, J Heung-Chol (Kor) 73 69, R Gonzalez (Arg) 71 71, S Kapur (Ind) 74 68, N Tantipokhakul (Tha) 69 73, C Del Moral (Esp) 70 72, M Mamat (Sin) 71 71, R Khan  (Ind) 72 70,

143 G Storm  (Eng) 67 76, G Havret  (Fra) 72 71, T Baek (Kor) 72 71, M Lundberg (Swe) 71 72, S Cyr (USA) 71 72, H Soon-Sang (Kor) 70 73, L Slattery (Eng) 69 74, A Que (Phi) 75 68, A Wall (Eng) 71 72, T Hatton (Eng) 71 72, T Wiratchant (Tha) 71 72,

144 P Price (Wal) 71 73, S Khan (Eng) 72 72, J Colomo  (Esp) 73 71, M Nixon (Eng) 70 74, J Son (Kor) 71 73, H Rai (Ind) 76 68, P Marksaeng (Tha) 72 72, M Stieger (Aus) 72 72, D McGrane (Irl) 71 73, R Lee (Can) 71 73, R Bland (Eng) 72 72, R Finch  (Eng) 71 73, L Zhiqun (Sin) 69 75,

145 K Deng Shan (Sin) 73 72, M Dong-Seop (Kor) 70 75, S Dyson  (Eng) 73 72, M Griffin (Aus) 71 74, K Chang-Yoon (Kor) 73 72,

146 J McLeary  (Sco) 71 75, S Manley (Wal) 71 75, B Easton (RSA) 75 71, C Pigem (Esp) 72 74, B Joo-Yeob (Kor) 73 73, S Rahman (Ban) 74 72,

147 M Kobayashi (Jpn) 71 76, U Park (Aus) 71 76, S Benson (Eng) 74 73,

148 J Carlsson (Swe) 74 74, P Uihlein  (USA) 70 78, L Tae-Hee (Kor) 78 70, E Salvador (Phi) 75 73, P Whiteford (Sco) 76 72,

149 J Randhawa (Ind) 77 72, M Madsen  (Den) 76 73, J Hansen  (Den) 73 76, R Ramsay  (Sco) 75 74,

150 P Eng-Wah (Sin) 74 76,

152 T Chi-Huang (Tpe) 76 76, K Dae-Hyun (Kor) 75 77,

155 L Seong-Ho (Kor) 78 77,

** B Henson (USA) 74 RT, J Granberg  (Fin) 76 DQ, C Doak (Sco) 75 RT, L Sung (Kor) 71 RT, J Parry (Eng) 80 RT,