16 July 2011 10:06 GMT

Scotland’s Paul Lawrie carded a triple bogey on the 495-yard par-4 fourth hole this morning and it has to be said the 1999 Open Champion is not the only golfer to struggle on this hole.

Back in 1993 the fourth was a par-5 and, to all intents and purposes, that’s still what it is today.

During yesterday’s second round it was the hardest hole on the course with an average of 4.613 and it’s also the hardest hole over both of the first two rounds with an average of 4.421.

Yesterday, this formidable converted par-5 relinquished five birdies (to Raphael Jacquelin, Ricky Barnes, Padraig Harrington, Sean O’Hair and Robert Karlsson) but also claimed many more victims with the field posting 69 pars, 66 bogeys, 12 double bogeys and three “others”. The significant “others” belonged to Japan’s Yuta Ikeda and America’s Mark Calcavecchia who both posted seven, and amateur Craig Hinton who succumbed to an eight.

Joint leader, Darren Clarke, carded a six on the fourth on Day 2 but repaired the damage with an eagle on the seventh. Indeed, the only man who has conquered it to date is American, Barnes, who carded threes there on both of the first two days.

The easiest hole on the course over the first two rounds was the 564-yard par-5 seventh. Over those two days, it produced 10 eagles, 134 birdies, 135 pars, 30 bogeys, two double bogeys and no “others”. Its playing average was 4.614.