Rose's nightmare continues - 19th missed cut

Justin Rose's nightmare run continued on Friday when he missed the 19th successive halfway cut of his 10-month professional career.

Fourth in the Open as an amateur last July and in the spotlight ever since, Rose has still to earn a tournament cheque, this time failing by four strokes to survive after managing only a second round 74 for a two over par total of 145.

Rose, in the last group out, battled back from a double bogey at the short second with birdies at the seventh and eighth, then followed a bogey six on the long 11th with another birdie three holes later.

But the killer was another six at the 585-yard 17th, where he pitched over the green, chipped to three feet and missed. He then bogeyed the last as well.

He made the cut in the same event as an amateur last year, shooting 72-68 and going on to finish 44th. His next chance is likely to come in the English Open at Hanbury Manor, Ware, in three weeks' time.

Colin Montgomerie, lying second, commiserated by saying: "I cannot imagine what he is going through at the moment. I don't think anyone of us can."