Curtis breezes into contention

Winds gusting up to 40mph were buffeting the Lancashire links and Rose, fourth here as a 17-year-old amateur in 1998, was among those to come unstuck in the conditions.

The world number nine dropped seven shots in his first seven holes to slump from the fringes of contention to 13 over par and out of the reckoning, and he was not alone.

Lee Westwood four-putted the first hole in a round of 78, the former European number one currently joint last on 17 over with just two birdies in 54 holes to his name. He missed from four feet for birdie on the last and joked: "I didn't want to spoil it."

Ernie Els managed a 74 to finish 13 over and Paul Casey was 12 over after a 73, a total matched by Colin Montgomerie after a 74.

Former champion Ben Curtis had threatened to defy the conditions with a front nine of 31, the lowest of the week, which included a fortunate eagle on the third.

The 31-year-old American, 396th in the world at the time of his shock win at Sandwich in 2003, turned away from his second shot in disgust but then seeing it blown back on target and taking a friendly bounce before rolling into the hole for a two.

A birdie on the fifth was followed by a bogey on the sixth - one of three holes shortened in anticipation of the bad weather - but after another birdie on the seventh, Curtis dropped three shots in a row from the 11th to fall back to seven over.

Warrington's Phillip Archer was the first man out at 7:30am, the 36-year-old playing on his own as the odd man out of the 83 to make the cut and carding a 78.

A round of 70 was good enough for Sweden's Henrik Stenson to hold the clubhouse lead, the Ryder Cup player finishing eight over par.