THE waiting last night was sheer torture. At one stage I believed I was going to make the cut, then it looked like I wasn't and, by the close of play, I had again - not that I'm complaining!

After all now I can look forward to playing the final two rounds of The Open Championship for the first time in my career.

Making the cut was my aim from the moment I qualified for the event, it was a nice feeling to go to sleep last night safe in the knowledge it was job done.

But I would not have had such an anxious wait had I not made a mess of the 11th hole yesterday. The 70 (two under par) I carded would have been so much better had I not made a mess of my club selection at that short par three.

I chose a five iron and pulled my shot to the left of the green, towards the adjacent 12th tee.

My chip shot rolled up the hill and back down again and from there I ended up with a triple-bogey.

Up until that point I had been playing some of the best golf I have played for weeks. I wasn't holing that many putts but I still managed three birdies. I would have ended with a five under par, 67 if it wasn't for the trouble on the 11th.

EVEN with the triple-bogey in tow, I went close to finishing with an eagle at the 18th and I wouldn't have had to wait until 10pm last night to find out if I had made the cut.

The Tom Morris hole is one of the most historic holes in golf and I must say I have enjoyed the walk over the Swilken Bridge, probably not as much as Jack Nicklaus, but it's something special all the same.

I birdied the 18th on Thursday but very nearly went a whole lot better than that yesterday.

It's a par four but driveable if you get your tee shot right. I did. And, without sounding boastful, I very nearly got it spot on.

I took the driver off the tee and it actually bounced off the flag. Unfortunately it bounced 12 feet away and I missed my putt for an eagle.

Had that gone in my place in the last two rounds would have been assured well before the close of play last night.

HAVING tasted the experience of playing to very few spectators late on Thursday night, I felt for those out on the course beyond 9pm last night.

St Andrews is such a prestigious and historic course but there's no getting round the fact that it is going to take over five hours when you are in a championship.

It took me, Peter Fowler and Pat Perez five and a quarter hours to go round yesterday - that's half an hour quicker than Thursday but still a lot slower than we're used to.

While those were out on the course late, though, I was able to put my feet up and relax and just wait patiently (and nervously!) to learn whether I would be going home today or not instead of teeing up at the first.

HAVING gone off quite early yesterday I was back in the clubhouse when the legendary Jack Nicklaus worked his way up the back nine.

I sat with my fiancee, Sara, and her mam and dad in the players' lounge watching the rest come in. I wanted to hang around until Jack said his farewells at the 18th and witness a slice of history.

And I'm glad I did because it was great to see him roll in a birdie on his last visit to St Andrews.

The legendary Golden Bear had his face printed on the back of £5 bank notes this week - if I had got a hole in one at the 18th maybe I would have got the same!

Published: 16/07/2005