Martin Kaymer's chance to go top recedes

Lee Westwood is poised to become Europe's first world number one golfer since Nick Faldo was toppled by Greg Norman in 1994.

The Englishman's Ryder Cup team-mate Martin Kaymer continued to labour well off the pace at the Andalucia Valderrama Masters yesterday, and barring a staggering turnaround today he will not achieve the top-two finish he requires.

Kaymer must win or share second place with no more than one other player if he, rather than the absent Westwood, is to succeed Tiger Woods when the American's 281-week reign ends tomorrow.

Having started his tournament with rounds of 72 and 74, yesterday's 70 was a welcome improvement for Kaymer, but realistically he needed to shoot around 66 to move into contention.

The leaderboard showed that the 25-year-old German stood nine shots behind Graeme McDowell and Gareth Maybin, the Northern Irish pair who were comfortably clear of the field and sharing the lead on six under par.

US Open champion McDowell had two double bogeys in his one-over round of 72, at the seventh and 18th, and while Maybin dropped shots at the first and second holes he improved with three birdies before the turn and then had pars all the way home.

Ireland's Damien McGrane shared third place with Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez on two under. McGrane shot 70 and Jimenez a level-par 71.

Sergio Garcia showed encouraging form with a round of 69 to move into a share of fifth place with Thomas Bjorn, who had four early birdies and four bogeys in a 71.

On level par for the tournament, where low-scoring has been difficult all week, stand American Anthony Kang, whose 68 was not bettered yesterday, alongside India's Jeev Milkha Singh and Holland's Robert-Jan Derksen, who both went round in 72. Sweden's Niclas Fasth dropped from third to 13th after following yesterday's 66 with a 76.