British Open: Ghei loses, and learns

Gaurav Ghei said in Troon, Scotland on Saturday that his British Open experience, while not too good in terms of results, would make him a better player.

A second round score of 81 (his score in the first round, as well) meant that with his total of 162 in the first two rounds, he would not make the cut for the final stages. In the first round, Ghei had a nightmare triple bogey at the final hole to finish the first round of the British Open on 10 over par.

"It just was not there for me," Ghei, the first Indian to play the British Open, said. "I three-putted the 10-th, and after that, everything went wrong. I was not hitting the ball well, so I tried to just stay stuck in there.

"I was very disappointed the way I played, but it will be a learning experience. I played one of the toughest courses in the world, in the toughest conditions. Hopefully, next time, I can handle myself better."

Ghei shot par till the seventh when he took a bogey. Another bogey at the 423-yard ninth saw him reach the turn in two over par, and he continued his poor run with bogeys in the 10th, 12th, 13th and 15th. With his swing out of sync, he had a double bogey at the 16th, and made bogeys for the final two holes to return a disappointing back nine of eight over 43.

John Kernohan of the United States, who like Ghei is an Omega Tour regular and was one of three, along with Ghei and Mamat of Singapore to qualify from the Omega Tour for the British Open, carded a one under par 70 on the second day, after an opening day 76, to make the cut for the last two days.

"Playing here has been the biggest thrill in my life, and being able to make the cut makes the thrill even bigger," says Kernohan, winner of the Singapore Open.