Second-round 65 puts Lawrie in frame for title challenge

FIVE days after losing his position as Britain's last winner of a major – Graeme McDowell is now that man – Paul Lawrie stepped up his bid for a first title in eight years yesterday.

The 41-year-old Scot, winner of The Open in 1999, returned a seven-under-par 65 in the second round of the BMW International Open in Munich.

On ten-under Lawrie had moved from joint 27th into a tie for fifth spot, only three strokes behind Welshman Bradley Dredge – and this in his first event since his amazing eight putts on one hole at the Wales Open.

"You've got to put these things behind you," said the Aberdeen golfer. "I've never putted off a green before, so twice in one hole is incredible. It was just one of those bizarre, stupid things."

This time Lawrie had seven birdies and not a single dropped shot on a day which saw Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia miss the cut.

Compatriot Peter Whiteford is also in contention at the halfway stage. Joint-leader with Dredge after an opening 64, the Fifer dropped two shots early in his second round, but bounced back with an eagle-3 at the sixth before covering the final ten holes in three-under for a 69.

Dredge, still clinging to the hope that he might make the Ryder Cup on home soil in October, grabbed two eagles in a second round 67 which leaves him 13 under par and one ahead of Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal.

However, fatigue appeared to have caught up with Els, third in the US Open, when he dropped three late shots and narrowly failed to grab the eagle he needed on the par five last.

Garcia was also at Pebble Beach, but there was far more behind his woeful performance than just jetlag.

Wearing the colours of the Spanish football team did nothing for the 30-year-old as his alarming slump continued.

For the first time as a professional Garcia has missed back-to-back cuts on European soil and his nine over 36-hole total after rounds of 77 and 76 was his worst on this side of the Atlantic since the 1999 Open at Carnoustie.

He was dead last there on 30 over after rounds of 89 and 83, but his position on the much, much easier Eichenried course was little better. Only three of 154 players scored higher.

"That's the way it is – I can't do anything about it," said the former world No 2, who has already dropped to 36th in the rankings.

Els, who drove into the lake for a six on the 555-yard 11th and bogeyed the 14th and 16th as well, said: "I just ran out of steam."

Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie and world No 9 Paul Casey are six under, but Montgomerie is battling with a torn calf muscle and an Achilles tendon problem.

The 47-year-old was able to continue after injections and painkillers.

Remarkably, Montgomerie said he had been suffering the injury in his left calf for three weeks. That covers the magnificent round of 62 over Sunningdale New Course 18 days ago that ensured he sealed his Open Championship spot at St Andrews next month.

"I've no idea how I did it but the muscle has torn, the pain is all through my back and it's also affecting my Achilles tendon, which is something you have to be very careful with" said Montgomerie.

"I'm just about getting round (the course) though, and I've been seeing Germany's under-21 football team doctor who has been very helpful," he added.

Despite the injury, Montgomerie remains determined to play at St Andrews, where in 2005 he finished second to Tiger Woods. "After shooting a 62 to get in I don't want to miss out," he said.

England's Ross McGowan, fifth in the Ryder Cup race, pulled out after four holes with a recurrence of wrist trouble.

Round of the day was a 63 from Stephen Gallacher. It was a 14-shot improvement on his opening effort and on four under he is in good shape to clinch an Open spot along with US Open runner-up Gregory Havret off a current form money list which ends on Sunday.