The Worksop golfer, who dropped only half a point in his five games in the record-breaking win in Detroit two years ago, needs a sixth place finish this weekend to go into the last qualifying event next week still with a chance of making the top 10.

But Westwood followed an opening 79 at Firestone by dropping two more shots in the first four holes of his second round – and it could have been worse.

While defending champion Tiger Woods, seeking his fourth successive tournament victory of the summer, resumed with two birdies and went into second place three behind Australian Adam Scott, the 33-year-old was down in joint last place.

At 11 over par Westwood was a massive 19 shots behind Scott, who followed his first day 63 with yet another birdie – his 10th in 13 holes – at the first.

On the par four 10th, Westwood hit a tree with his drive and on the next he went right into the rough again.

Both times he did well to salvage pars, but he could not do it again at the short 12th after going left this time and another bogey went on his card on the 13th when his approach clipped some overhanging branches and came down short of the green in the rough again.

Paul McGinley, playing with Woods again and eager to repair at least some of the damage of his initial 77, parred the opening holes and so still had to register a birdie in the £3.9million tournament.

McGinley is ninth in the Ryder Cup standings, but unless he found form was likely to be overtaken by Jose Maria Olazabal, who set off again with a birdie and stood joint seventh on three under.

That would put the heat on the Dubliner going into next week’s BMW International in Munich, although Olazabal is not playing there.

Padraig Harrington, eighth on the table and not safe himself yet, remained three over with five straight pars, while David Howell – one of those who has done enough in the cup race – double-bogeyed the third and slipped to one under.