THREE of the biggest names ever to play the Celtic Manor Wales Open missed the cut last night as the much maligned Roman Road course bit back.

Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo and Thomas Bjorn all fell victim to the tricky conditions that have led many players to conclude that the Roman Road course is harder than Wentwood Hills.

But try telling Italian rookie Allesandro Tadini that the Roman Road course is difficult - he lit up the second round with a sensational 62, a new course record.

Tadini leads the way at 11-under, two strokes ahead of Englishman David Lynn (who shot 66) and three clear of Miguel Angel Jimenez (67).

Montgomerie never seemed to find any form in a stumbling second round of 75 (eight over par overall) that was as bad as you'll ever likely to see from him.

It wasn't quite so bad for Faldo or Dodd, who finished at six-over and three-over respectively. Denmark's Bjorn seemed to be in fine form as two birdies in his first two holes took him to four-under par, but he imploded on a dreadful back nine of 40 that included five bogeys and one double-bogey.

He then missed a six foot birdie putt at eighteen that would have squeezed him into the weekend.

More blustery conditions and stronger rain yesterday certainly made life harder for the players than it was on Thursday, but several Welshman did manage to post decent scores, with Ian Woosnam in particular finding his form at just the right event.

The 2006 Ryder Cup skipper in waiting played solidly to post a one-under par round of 68, leaving him handily placed at joint fifth going into the weekend.

He is three strokes ahead of Monmouthshire's David Park and fellow Welshman Jamie Donaldson, who were both satisfied with their form around a course that is familiar to them both.

Blackwood's Bradley Dredge also posted a decent score after an up and down two days, making birdies at two of the final three holes to move into red figures at one-under par.

However, Wales' man of the hour Stephen Dodd, with two titles to his name this season, will not be participating today after falling the way of Monty and co.