Wilson back on track

3:15am Saturday 30th August 2008

Oliver Wilson made the greatest comeback of his golfing life to stay on course for a Ryder Cup debut next month.

Six over par with 10 holes to play and heading out of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, the final qualifying event, Wilson grabbed an eagle and two birdies to survive the halfway cut by the skin of his teeth.

Minutes later German Martin Kaymer, his biggest danger in the race for places in Nick Faldo's team, missed four-foot putts on the final two greens to miss out by one.

"I'm proud of myself," said Wilson, poised now to become the first player ever to play for Europe against the Americans without winning a tournament in his professional career.

"That was the biggest round of my career. It was not the front nine I wanted, but it was the back nine I needed."

With Justin Rose and Soren Hansen on the verge of clinching a first cap as well, Wilson now has to hold off the challenge of only Nick Dougherty and Ross Fisher.

But Dougherty has to finish first or second on Sunday and Fisher has to be in the top three - and at halfway they are way down the field on one under and level par respectively.

Frenchman Gregory Havret still leads on seven under par, overcoming a shank with the second shot of his day to add a two under 71 to his opening 68.

Kaymer was understandably dejected. As Lee Westwood had feared would be the case, he felt a victim of greens which the former European number one said should be ripped up before the course stages the 2014 Ryder Cup.

"I was playing very well, but the greens were ridiculous," said the 23-year-old, who despite two wins this year gives himself no chance of a wild card with so many big guns - Darren Clarke, Paul Casey, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Poulter, Paul McGinley - not qualifying on points either.

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