Between them they’ve captured six Major Championships but it was pure agony watching  Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els competing side-by-side on the second day of the RBC Heritage Classic at Hilton Head in South Carolina.

The alligators sunning themselves on a number of the banks about the Harbour Town course generated more interest than the collective efforts of Harrington and Els.

Harrington looked back to his triple Major Championship winning best in finishing eighth five days earlier in the Masters at Augusta National.

However that Masters gloss had dulled with the Dubliner heading into the second round at two over par following a first round 74 but then missing the halfway cut by two strokes in posting a one over par 72.

Els commenced day two after a first day 72 but horribly three-putted the last after his drive at the last ran inside a hazard line on route to taking a disappointing 76 for a six over par tally.

The champion South African commenced his second day with three birdies in his first six holes but it turned pear shaped for Els when he played the inward nine in 43.  Included in his closing nine holes was three bogeys, a 13th hole double bogey and the embarassment at the last.

Harrington was left shaking his head when his first putt from some 15 feet behind the hole at the 18th slid by the hole.

But then it had been virtually 18 holes of frustration for Harrington competing at Hilton Head for just the second time after first playing the event in 2001, and after he had been booked for speeding in his Masters courtesy car from Augusta to the South Carolina event.

However Harrington stayed very much in the slow lane for the 36 holes recording just three birdies over the two days but also seven bogeys including three on day two.

Harrington recorded the third bogey of his round at the par three 14th but played a superb third shot at the next to birdie the 15th.

But he had to play a tricky second shot from the centre of the fairway at the par four 16th around a tree however with Harrington’s ball running through the green from where he took bogey.

At the par three, 17th Harrington’s pitching-wedge was short and landing in a bunker but from where he managed to save par.

Harrington then looked just as frustrated at the last missing his birdie putt but then his pain was not as much as Els.

Little known American Colt Knost (66) heads the $US 5.7m event by two strokes from Sweden’s Carl Pettersson (65).

But looming large is former double Heritage champion Boo Weekley who added a 66 to his opening round of 7o to be tied in third place and just two strokes from the lead.

However Weekley revealed he was close to ‘yodelling’ during his round which his way of politely saying he nearly threw up.

“I might have swallowed some dip or something, I don’t know because I felt fine and I got out here and I had three pieces of bacon and a muffin, and what else did I have?”, said Weekley.

“I might have had something else, some toast.  And I walked out there, got on the putting green, man, it felt like somebody just sat on my chest.  But I got over it. 

“I told my caddie, put an extra Tylenol in the bag, in case I did yodel a little bit on the side.  I told my players, Vaughn‑‑ Vaughn just said, “Let me know.  I’m allergic to that stuff (laughter).” 

“I don’t want to see it.  I don’t want to hear it.”  I said, “I’m loud, too, boy.  I’m a screamer when I’m yodeling.”  (More laughter).

Aside from nearly being sick Weekley will be looking to draw on the experience of winning the event back-to-back in 2007 and 2008.  It was his success that set up qualification for the eventual victorious 2008 USA Ryder Cup team, Weekley admitted he’s not as confident this year with two rounds to play.

“I’m still not quite as confident as I was the first two years I was here but I’m getting close”, he said. 

“I’m just hitting a couple of iron shots that‑‑ I’m just struggling a little bit here and there, like the ball ain’t quite turning.  I see a shot that I want to draw five or six yards and it’s going straight or maybe going right about four yards. 

“So I’m not quite to where I feel as good, as comfortable as I was when I was here the last two times or the first two times.”

Joining Harrington and Els in missing the cut was European Ryder Cup captain, Jose Maria Olazabal who had been fined $US 671 for speeding on route to Hilton Head.

The Spaniard was unable to recoup the fine in posting scores of 77 and 73.