Premature Riviera exit for Merrick after missed four-footer

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

PACIFIC PALISADES, California (Reuters) - American John Merrick failed to sink a four-foot par putt on his final hole and missed the Northern Trust Open cut by a stroke when the weather-delayed second round was completed on Saturday.

Merrick, whose bogey at the par-four ninth earned him a four-over 75, was one of six players still out on the course when play was suspended for the day in fading light on Friday.

The cut fell at three-over 145 with 78 golfers qualifying for the last two rounds at Riviera Country Club.

Among those missing out were twice winner Mike Weir of Canada, American world number six Jim Furyk, Britons Justin Rose and Lee Westwood and double U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen of South Africa.

World number two Phil Mickelson, in pursuit of his first victory on the tree-lined Riviera layout, holds a four-stroke lead going into Saturday's third round.

The American left-hander, making the most of a favourable draw, fired a sparkling seven-under-par 64 on Friday to take control of the tournament with a 10-under total of 132.

"The early/late tee times had a huge advantage this week," Mickelson said, referring to the players with a morning start on Thursday who teed off late in Friday's second round.

"Of the scores that are any good, 90 percent of them are from the early/late wave. We avoided wind yesterday morning and it died down this afternoon. We just got very lucky."

Mickelson's closest pursuers at the tournament's halfway point are fellow American Jeff Quinney, who carded a 67 on Friday, and 2001 champion Robert Allenby of Australia, after a 66.