European Tour:Paul McGinley had a woeful day with the driver to fall a dispiriting 16 strokes off the lead in the Mercedes-Benz Championship at Gut Larchenhof near Cologne.
Having watched in awe on Thursday as playing partner Lee Westwood scorched to an 11-under-par 61, McGinley had enough on his plate to notice that the Englishman was as off-colour yesterday as his own game.
Suffering dizzy spells as a reaction to decongestant medicine, Westwood carded a one-over 73 to fall a stroke behind Soren Hansen of Denmark, who fired a 68 to lead on 11 under.
But McGinley was more worried about his game as he cobbled together a seven-over 79 that left him tied for 73rd in the 78-man field on five over.
"I just kept hitting it in the heavy rough and hacking it out," said McGinley, who had six bogeys in a row from the second hole. "I drove the ball appallingly badly, hit three fairways and had 36 putts.
"Between driving and putting, that's where I lost it because my iron play was okay. I hit it in the heavy stuff about six times and it was like a penalty shot each time."
Graeme McDowell birdied the last hole in near darkness for a par 72 that was enough to lead the three-man Irish challenge in a share of 28th place.
"It was getting pretty dark out there but to finish with a birdie is nice, and I'm seven under par for the back nine," McDowell said. "But in saying that I am four over on the front so I know there is a score out there if I can get going. I am driving the ball fantastic and played so well but I am hitting some weird-looking irons."
Darren Clarke drove the ball poorly for the second day and carded a 75 to drop back to tied 52nd on level par.
Meanwhile Ireland have finally found two golfers willing to qualify for November's Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China.
But the problems have only begun for Ulstermen Michael Hoey and Gareth Maybin, who have saved Ireland from major international embarrassment by agreeing to travel to Aruba in the Dutch Antilles for the World Cup Qualifying Tournament at Tierra del Sol Golf Club from September 27th-30th.
The Challenge Tour pair must first make their way from next week's Kazakhstan Open to the Caribbean via Amsterdam - a trip that could cost them up to €4,000 each. On their arrival they will then be required to beat off competition from up to 20 nations for just five qualifying spots in the event proper, which will be played at Mission Hills in November.
The rewards will be great if they can make it past the likes of Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Serbia, Israel and Guatemala with 28th and last place in China worth a cool $25,000 a man.
But if both continue to play well on the Challenge Tour, they will finish in the top 45 on the money list and qualify automatically for the 108-hole European Tour Qualifying School Finals at San Roque in Spain, scheduled for November 15th-20th.
Should they do that and play all six rounds, Maybin and Hoey will have just 48 hours to get from Spain to China for their first round.
"That's a bridge we will cross when we come to it," said their manager Conor Ridge.
