'Terrible flu' won't stop me, insists Colin Montgomerie

The 47-year-old harnessed the strong winds sweeping across the Donnafugata course and posted a tidy two-under 69 for a four-under 138 to share ninth, five shots behind halfway leader Anthony Wall, who fired a 67 for 133.

Montgomerie, whose only dropped shots of the week arrived on the first two holes of round one, had complained of feeling ill during the pre-tournament Pro-Am on Wednesday.

But the eight-time European No 1 lifted his spirits with a neatly-assembled round, polished by a 25-foot birdie putt from off the green at 14 - his fifth - and a chip in for birdie on the sixth.

"I never get ill but I have terrible flu so I did very well today," said the Ryder Cup-winning captain. "I've missed a tournament before with a bad back but never one through illness and I'm not going to start now. I've never missed a day's work through illness. Typical Scot.

"I haven't really got started this year but having not dropped a shot since the first two holes of the first round I feel my game is coming back."

Paul Lawrie shot a bogey-free 68 to hoist himself into the top 20 on 140, while Scott Jamieson and Stephen Gallacher both had 70s for 141s.

Peter Whiteford tamed the gusts with a 68 for 142 while Alastair Forsyth, who was motoring along at three-under for the day, spilled a trio of shots on his last three holes in a 71 to finish alongside Lloyd Saltman and George Murray on 143.

Marc Warren, the two-time tour winner, also stumbled home with bogeys at 17 and 18 in a 72 but survived the cut on the 144 limit.

At the sharp end of affairs, Englishman Wall made two birdies and an eagle in a four-under card and credited his display to an i-phone application by US putting guru Dave Stockton.

"It's a 59 pence app about reading greens," said Wall, who leads by one from Raphael Jacquelin and Richard Green. "It was a bargain. You don't get many valuable lessons for 59 pence these days."