Charl Schwartzel endured his worst-ever round at The Open on Friday as he went from one behind the lead to just making the cut, writes WADE PRETORIUS.

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On a day that started so well – he was tied for the lead after a birdie at the fourth hole – Schwartzel was battling himself and the elements to the point where he ended up doing just enough to make the cut.

Playing alongside Rory McIlroy, who birdied two of the first three holes, it was the South African who moved alongside the overnight leaders after the fourth hole. He wouldn’t know then quite how it would all fall apart on what was his day’s only birdie.

An unplayable plugged lie ensured a double drop on the fifth and a bogey followed on the sixth before he safely navigated holes 7, 8 and 9.

While Schwartzel’s day began to sour, McIlroy was all smiles as he blasted his way around the front nine with a massive eight-shot swing, compared to his horror start on Thursday.

The Northern Irishman suddenly had all eyes on him, but he failed to take advantage of a number of booming drives as the wind gusted up to 30 miles per hour. He played the par 5s in level and settled for a par on the last to sign for a second round 68 – ten shots better than Schwartzel.

The 2011 Masters champion bogeyed  10, 12, 15 and 16, with a double on 13 to go from co-leader to anxiously waiting to see the cut line stabilise at his closing mark of four over par. And he should just make the weekend, with more than two hours’ worth of groups still to come, and the wind starting to become a factor not only on the tee, but also the greens.

At the end of the round, the numbers told their own story: 21% of fairways found and 50% of greens in regulation to go with 33 putts.

Numbers that unsurprisingly added up to his worst-ever round at The Open.

Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images