Padraig Harrington achieved another landmark in his professional career when for the first time yesterday he completed 36 holes in a European Tour event without a single mistake. A second round 71 in the Volvo Scandinavian Masters at Malmo's Barseback course put the Stackstown golfer only one shot off the lead in his campaign to win a Ryder Cup place, but there are eight players ahead of him.
Swedes Joakim Haeggman and Michael Jonzon were joined by three Spaniards - Ignacio Garrido, Jose Rivero, and Domingo Hospital - and three Englishmen - Peter Baker, Gary Evans and Miles Tunnicliff in the most congested leaderboard of the season.
The entire field of 73 qualifiers on the one under par mark or better are covered by only seven strokes, but they do not include Volvo ranking leader Ian Woosnam. Despite a 68 with his new set of clubs, the Welshman failed by one shot, and could be toppled from his perch by Darren Clarke this weekend.
Harrington lies on seven under par 137, and his solitary birdie at the par five fifth, where he holed from 15 feet, was poor reward for his solid driving and accurate approach play. "I played much better than in the first round," he said, "but this time the putts did not drop.
"There was nothing wrong but there are just one or two little kinks to iron out so that I can really get going this weekend." Harrington, who lies 11th in the Ryder rankings, is now hell bent on gaining a place alongside Clarke in the team at Valderrama in September. Incidentally, Harrington's bogey free 36 holes was matched by another Ryder contender, local hero Jesper Parnevik who is right in contention, just two shots off the pace.
Clarke's big ambition is to be European number one, and he is still very much involved in the destiny of this week's title worth £125,000 after his 71 for 140, four under par. Clarke also found birdies hard to come by on the "afternoon" greens, beating par at two of the par fives, the fifth and 12th, but nowhere else. His putts were from five and 25 feet. The Ulsterman's only mistake came at the 17th where he drove against the base of a tree that was protected by a plastic sheath. He asked for a free drop from the obstacle, but was refused, and got a flier over the green.
Ronan Rafferty had one of his best rounds of the season, collecting five birdies in a 68 to join Parnevik on the six under par mark. Three birdies in the first four holes in the company of Colin Montgomerie and Mark James, got the former European number one away to a fast start, and two more at the start of the inward half served to increase the furrows on the Scot's brow at his inability to match them.
Paul McGinley joined Clarke on four under after a three under par 69 yesterday and Des Smyth ended his lean spell with a 70 for 141, after getting out in 32. Raymond Burns, who holed from 15 feet for a birdie three at the last for a 70, and Eamonn Darcy who had 71, also qualified on 141. However it will be a blank week for David Higgins (75 for 145) and Philip Walton whose 76 took him to 150.
Meanwhile, joint leader Baker is enjoying a return to the form that made him leading European in the Ryder Cup of 1993 at The Belfry. He has since fallen on hard times, and failed eight times in his last nine events. He recently turned for help in curing a pullhook to Bill Ferguson, the coach that Montgomerie dispensed with after 15 seasons. "When your confidence is as low as mine you never think you will play well again," said Baker. "Now I am cautiously optimistic." And well he should be after a superb 66 yesterday.
