International Open: Luke Donald defied fatigue and a head cold to try to make it second time lucky thanks to yesterday's second round of 65 at the BMW International tournament.
The 27-year-old Donald had to settle for joint-sixth place, three behind Tiger Woods, in last week's WGC-NEC event in Ohio after sharing the halfway lead. Now he is 12 under par on 132 and the joint leader again at Nord-Eichenried, this time with one of the overnight leaders, Australia's Brett Rumford.
"It's my fourth event in a row and I'm defending champion in Switzerland next week," Donald said. "It will be the first time I've played five on a roll and I'm a bit under the weather with the head cold, but maybe it's helping me concentrate.
"In fact I'll be playing six events in seven weeks counting the World Match Play championship, so it's still only 50-50 that I'll play in the Seve Trophy team event against Europe. There's still some gas in the tank, though, and I'll be staying with Sergio Garcia next week so that will be nice and relaxing.
"I haven't won this year and it won't be easy here because it's a course where you can come out and shoot 63 or 62."
Donald, who described his blemish-free seven-birdie return as "a nice easy-going round", failed to pick up a shot at only one of the four par-fives. "I averaged about 285 yards off the tee and it's enough if you're hitting the fairways here," he added.
"I can reach the par-fives in two. That has been important. I'm seven under for the par-fives. Last week I was very close to winning and I've brought that confidence with me. The rough is a little bit thicker than in the past and accuracy off the tee is more of a factor."
Rumford added a 67 to his 65 as they moved one clear of England's Simon Khan, out in 30 for a 65 with four birdies and an eagle two (from 102 yards) in his first six holes, and the Argentinian Angel Cabrera.
David Howell, another of Europe's Ryder Cup winners last year in Detroit, confirmed his return to form following a long injury lay-off with a 68 to finish only two behind the leaders.
But Howell, winner of the 1999 Dubai Desert Classic, is still waiting for his second European Tour title after being forced out of the US Open in June following back-to-back second-place finishes in the British Masters and Irish Open. He followed that by playing the worst shot of his 2005 campaign.
In fact it was just a swing with a practice club the world number two Vijay Singh uses to tone muscles - a three-wood weighing 25lb, more than half the weight of a bag of clubs.
"I didn't feel the injury right there and then but putting two and two together it probably tightened up the stomach muscles before I jarred the fibres again hitting out of the rough on the Thursday," Howell explained.
"The injury proved very frustrating. Someone said I'd be out only three or four weeks so I was constantly in the gym trying to get back out in time for our Open, but it took twice as long. I feel much better now and finishing joint sixth last week in the NEC did wonders for my confidence.
"In some strange way I feel I'm swinging better than ever now."
Padraig Harrington registered a round of 67 to lie four shots off the lead on eight under par, and Paul McGinley is a shot further back after carding 69
Gary Murphy scraped into the weekend thanks to a 71 which left him on four under par, but Paul McGrane and Peter Lawrie failed to make the cut. McGrane fired a second successive 73 while Lawrie finished on four over par following his 73.
• Justin Rose is to rejoin the European tour in the hope of making a Ryder Cup debut in Ireland next September. The 25-year-old South African-born Englishman left in March to concentrate on the US Tour, but will be eligible for Cup points from November.
