Golf:On this evidence Graeme McDowell stands to make great gains on Martin Kaymer's lead in the Race to Dubai standings for as one major champion leads in Valderrama the other looks positively out of sorts.
The second day of the Andalucia Masters belonged to US Open champion McDowell, who returned a four under 67 for a seven under 135 halfway aggregate. That was good enough to open up a two shot lead on fellow northerner Gareth Maybin (68) to ensure an all-Antrim pairing in tomorrow's final group.
Kaymer looked a shell of the player who "was" vying for the world number one spot and apparently cruising to the European number one berth. Perhaps it was information overload for the US PGA champion whose normally composed mind was left with too much to ponder at one golf tournament.
As it stands the German scraped into the weekend on the four over - one shot inside the cut mark - with rounds of 72, 74, while playing partner McDowell puffed out the chest and set about taking command of the situation in Sotogrande.
Unless Kaymer goes bananas over the weekend with a couple of sub 65s he is all but certain to miss out on assuming the world number one spot. The 25-year-old needs to finish no worse than second alongside no more than one other player otherwise the injured Lee Westwood will relieve Tiger Woods of the top spot after 281 weeks at the top.
McDowell turned the screw on the back nine where he picked up four birdies and no dropped shots on the difficult tree-lined layout. Where the 31-year-old converted three birdies in his final six holes, Kaymer’s three dropped shots in his last five neatly summarised the Ryder Cup team-mates' contrast in fortunes.
Where McDowell peppered the flag at 14 to set up his fourth birdie of the day, the normally dependable Kaymer was in damage limitation mode and operating around the fringes.
"I didn’t play that well on the front nine, it was rather scrappy, but the back nine was good. I gave myself birdie chances and positioned the ball well," said McDowell, who is just shy of €1million behind Kaymer in the Race to Dubai but is in the driving seat to go on and collect this week's €500,000 winner's cheque.
"Level par is a good job at Valderrama. I will just keep doing what I'm doing for the next couple of days. At Valderrama you’ve got to stay patient and focused.
"Martin has not had his best two days but he is a world class player. I will have to control my own game, and I'm going to do my best; that's all I have to do."
In many ways Maybin slipped in under the radar and his quiet demeanour should suit McDowell as a playing partner. The Ballyclare native, who mixed four birdies with just one dropped shot at the seventh, needs a good week of his own to cement his place at the season-ending Dubai World Championship. The 30-year-old is currently 58th on the money list with the top 60 guaranteed their place at the season's finale next month.
"Overall I’m really happy," said Maybin, still looking for his maiden win on the European Tour. "Patience has been my game plan for the last couple of days and will be for the next two."
It was a difficult day for Damien McGrane, who slipped from tied second alongside McDowell after the first round, into tied sixth on one under after a 73.
Michael Hoey and Darren Clarke reached the midway stage on level par after respective rounds of 72 and 70. Clarke's afternoon came unstuck with a run of three bogeys from the 12th but the Ryder Cup vice captain rallied with a pair of impressive birdies at 17 and 18, two of the most difficult holes on the course.
Shane Lowry remained on two over after his 71, while Peter Lawrie (74) made it into the weekend after finishing on the same four over mark as Kaymer. It meant Paul McGinley was the only weekend casualty of the eight-strong Irish contingent after a 75 left the Dubliner seven over.
It was a tough day for first round leader Pablo Larrazabal, who dropped back to one over after a 77. His Spanish compatriot, Miguel Angel Jimenez, was tied fourth after a second successive 70 while Sergio Garcia was one over after a 73.