British Open 2014 cut: Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer on wrong side of projected cut line

It may not be time for breakfast yet in the eastern United States, but half the field at the British Open is already out on the course and getting through their second round. That means the cut line is on the minds of many at Royal Liverpool, and the current projected cut is 1-over, meaning everyone at 2-over and worse would pack their bags after just two days.

The scoring conditions on Friday are more difficult, so that line may go up a bit if the wind persists through the afternoon. But the forecast had called for these gusts, some of which are expected to reach 35 mph, to die off by the afternoon. That would mean the later group in the second round would have played in the more favorable conditions on both days, a quirk of the Open that so often separates the contenders from the missed cuts based purely on luck of the draw. So some of the players out on the course right now may think they’re safe, but if the wind abates, the late group, where most of the leaders will play, may not only increase their margin but also bump up the cut line. So much depends on the sudden changes in weather at these Opens.

If there’s no wind at Royal Liverpool, it’s actually one of the easier courses on the Open rota. The winning score can start to push 15 or 20-under, and the cut line can fall a shot or two under-par, which is rare for a major championship. But if it holds at 1-over, some big names will be headed home if they don’t make a quick move.

Bubba Watson, who had an awful day on Thursday, mitigated some of his damage coming into the clubhouse with a 4-over 76. The two-time Masters champ is in danger of missing his second straight major championship cut following that dominating win at Augusta. He got one shot back on the front nine to get to 3-over, and has three gettable par-5s on the back side to pick up a few more and make a run back towards even-par. He’ll have to bomb away on those par-5s if we want to play 36 more holes (and, of course, he may not want to).

Bubba is not the only 2014 major winner struggling to get to the weekend, as Martin Kaymer is out in the morning on Friday and sits at 2-over. Kaymer had his second double bogey in as many days, and has had trouble finding the form that led him to wire-to-wire wins at both the Players and U.S. Open. Going back-to-back at majors is almost impossible for anyone not named Tiger, but it’s still surprising to see Kaymer scuffle after the Sawgrass win and the blowout at Pinehurst.

Here’s the rest of the group with Bubba and Kaymer currently on the wrong side of the cut line: