BEASTLY Birkdale sent some big names packing on Friday when the cut fell at the British Open.

World top tenners Geoff Ogilvy (3rd), Stewart Cink (6th) and Vijay Singh (10th) were all casualties and they will head home to join the injured No 1 Tiger Woods watching the weekend's action on TV.

Others to depart were last year's US Open champion Angel Cabrera and Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez, the man who currently tops the European Tour's money list.

World No 3 Ernie Els nearly joined them, but he squeezed in right on the cut at nine under as did English hopes Lee Westwood and Paul Casey.


Past winners of the Old Claret Jug fared poorly with Paul Lawrie (1999), Mark O'Meara (1998), Tom Watson (1975, 1977, 1980, 1982 and 1983), Mark Calcavecchia (1989) and John Daly (1995), who finished a whopping 29 over par and at the bottom of the pack, all axed.

Sandy Lyle (1985) had already departed after walking off the course in disgust after 10 holes of his first round on Thursday. -- AFP