All week it has been Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood this and Colin Montgomerie that, and all Peter Lonard, your typical Australian, can say is: "No worries, mate." Lonard, after a 66 yesterday for a 10under total of 134, leads the Volvo Masters at Montecastillo by three shots from Montgomerie and by four from Westwood and three others, and is totally unconcerned that he might be considered an interloper.

He is aware of the publicity that has surrounded the Englishman, the Irishman and the Scot and their battle for the European number one spot, but said yesterday: "I've got 166,000 reasons not to worry about them." That's the size of the first prize, and it is a lot more money to someone like Lonard, who is 52nd in the Volvo rankings, than it is to either of the main contenders. "I'm only thinking about winning," Lonard said. "I've got no other pressures."

The Australian is atop a mightily impressive leaderboard, which features Jose Maria Olazabal, Jarmo Sandelin and Peter O'Malley alongside Westwood, with Thomas Bjorn and Padraig Harrington a further stroke behind on five-under.

Darren Clarke, though, the only other man in the field who could win the number one spot, did himself no favours with a one-over-par 73. Clarke has to win to have any chance, and while there is nothing in his position that a 63 would not cure, it would seem that this year's course is set up too severely for that kind of outburst.

Yesterday the wind blew rather harder than on the first day, and from a different direction too, and Lonard's 66 and Montgomerie's 67 were outstanding scores.

The Australian, a big, burly man, looks a picture of health - and he is, now. But for three years he suffered the completely debilitating effects of Ross River Fever, a mosquito-borne disease that robs the sufferer of all energy. "I hardly went out of my parent's house for two years," Lonard said yesterday. "I drove them mad.

Treatment has corrected that, and yesterday Lonard hit 17 out of 18 greens, had six birdies, no bogeys and looks forward to confounding his better-known peers.

Both Westwood and Montgomerie are doing what they have to do. They are in contention, despite the fact that neither feels they are playing all that well, and are in position for a big push over the weekend. Montgomerie said yesterday: "I'm playing a bit indifferently, to be honest. I can't say it's great, because it's not, but I'm holing enough putts to get me round.

"I like a challenge, though, and I've certainly got one. I'm very competitive, I've got a huge will to win, and while it's not so important to win a sixth Volvo ranking as it was the first, now that I'm in place I might as well give it my best.

"At the start of the week all that had to happen was for four people to beat Lee and I'd be number one again. But that doesn't look like it's going to happen so now I'll have to take care of things myself, I'll have to go out and win the tournament. And I'm very happy about that."

Yesterday Montgomerie had two eagles, both on the back nine, picking up four shots on Westwood on those holes alone. The Worksop player is suffering from various aches and pains, which he refuses to use as an excuse but which are bad enough to make him limp at times. There is a long-standing hip problem, a torn muscle in his right side and some over-lapping of his toes which might, in the future, necessitate special shoes.

But, like Lonard, he had no bogeys yesterday, although one seemed certain at the 395-yard 7th. After a drive that finished in the rough his recovery shot pitched and ricocheted sharp right into a greenside lake. He was able to get a drop not nearer the hole - but on the green - and holed from 40 feet for a par.

"I'm in a good spot - in touch with Monty and in reasonable touch with the leader," Westwood said. "There's no need to panic; not yet, anyway."