Former world number one Ernie Els and the Spaniard Sergio Garcia both missed the cut as Welshman Bradley Dredge topped the leader board at the halfway point in the BMW Open here on Friday.
Els, who came third in the US Open earlier in the month, found the lake at the 11th for the second day running, missing par, and dropped further shots at the 14th and 16th.
He missed the eagle he needed at the last to make the cut and finished with a level par 72 to be two-under at the halfway point. "I just ran out of steam I think," said the South African.
Garcia sported the colours of the Spain football team ahead of their World Cup match against Chile but could find no inspiration in them.
His four-over par 76 was marginally better than his opening round of 77 but a nine-over par total at the halfway left him struggling for answers to a terrible lapse in form that has seen him drop to number 36 in the world.
"That's the way it is - I can't do anything about it," he said.
Nick Faldo, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley also failed to make it through to the weekend.
Dredge, the joint overnight leader, followed up his first round 64 with a five-under par 67, reeling in two eagles as he chases his first Tour win for four years.
"I am quite pleased with the round today," said Dredge. "I struggled a little bit, but made two eagles which really kept the score going.
"I'd like to have a good weekend now and put myself in with a chance of winning on the last few holes on Sunday."
The 36-year-old is also trying to do enough to command a place in Europe's Ryder Cup team although he is currently down in 29th place.
"I've got four big tournaments coming up so things can change very quickly," he said. "Now is the time to do it. It's still mathematically possible and I'll be trying until it's not."
One shot back is Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal who shot a second successive 66.
"I'm putting the ball in play from the tee and putting great," he said. "I think that is the difference between this and some of the rounds I've played in the past.
"I'm having fun. If I have 100 percent fun on the golf course for four days, I don't care who wins the tournament."
Joint overnight leader Peter Whiteford of Scotland lies two shots off the lead after a second round 69.
His compatriot Paul Lawrie, the British Open winner in 1999, produced the round of the day, a 65 which leaves him one of six players tied for fifth, three shots behind Dredge.
Copyright 2010 AFP Global Edition
