DEFENDING champion Brett Rumford of Australia yesterday fired his second successive four-under 67 to share the European Masters lead at the halfway stage with overnight leader Rory McIlroy. British teenager McIlroy saved par three times to finish with 71 and match Rumford's eight-under 134.
The pair are a stroke ahead of Juan Abbate of Argentina (67), Spaniard Alejandro Canizares (68) and Frenchman Jean-Francois Lucquin (67).
Rumford's move to the top of the leaderboard has come after a mediocre run by the 31-year-old on the US PGA
Tour where he is struggling to keep his card. The three-time European Tour winner explained why he has turned his fortunes around again.
"Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result," Rumford told reporters. "That's the trap golfers very often get stuck in. The trick, I've found, is to identify something that's not working and change it."
Rumford's change in fortunes did not affect the 19-year-old Northern Irishman McIlroy, whose first-round 63 was only a stroke off the Crans-sur-Sierre course record.
He is trying to avoid premature thoughts about a maiden win. "I caught myself thinking about it when I woke up needing a drink at 4am and I watched tennis and the Washington Redskins to take my mind off it."
Tournament favourite and European Ryder Cup team member Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain carded a 69 to lie three strokes off the lead. Helensburgh's Gary Orr was the best of the Scots, carding a 71 to share 18th place with England's Mark Foster and Argentina's Julio Zapata. Craig Lee from Stirling shot a creditable 69 to lie on level par after two rounds while Lanarkshire's Mark Warren repeated the feat to be finish one shot over par. Edinburgh golfer David Drysdale had a disappointing 74, leaving him three over par, while Kirkcaldy's Peter Whiteford shot a 70 for a three over par 145.
In St Louis, meanwhile, Padraig Harrington carded a respectable one-under-par 69 in the opening round of the BMW Championship.
"I had a nice chance at the last for birdie from six feet. If I'd shot 68 I would have been very happy with my day but 69 is okay," he said after compiling three birdies and two bogeys at Bellerive.
The full article contains 400 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
