Golf: Padraig Harrington came into the Benson & Hedges International Open this week "with no high expectations".

But then, as he admitted later, he had never gone into a tournament with high expectations and played well.

This week, despite or perhaps because of decrying his chances prior to the event, he is undoubtedly playing well and the 68 he added to his opening 67 put him at nine under and gave him a two-stroke lead over the defending champion Angel Cabrera.

Paul Casey and Jamie Elson are among those jointly third on four under, 140.

If Harrington had not had a moment of mental ineptitude at the eighth, he might be enjoying a more substantial lead. He had hit two balls in the lake on the left in practice and found deep rough on the right on Thursday, "so I was thinking don't hit it left, don't hit it right, and I really didn't hit any stroke at it at all."

As a result he hooked it into the water and "it was a pretty straightforward six after that".

He was philosophical, though, as always. "You always have to expect to make some mistakes," he said, "That's the way golf is."

Elson, the former Walker Cup golfer playing in his third professional event, showed formidable powers of concentration on his way to a 69.

The 18th at The Belfry wraps itself round a lake and Elson, having hit a huge drive, was standing over his second when a duck and four ducklings decided to investigate.

As they got nearer and nearer it seemed that Elson must step away from his ball and start again. Instead, with the ducks only 15 feet away, he struck a superb shot to 20 feet and duly got his par.

"Didn't you think about aborting when the ducks got so close?" he was asked afterwards.

"What ducks?" he said.

Elson (21), is a local lad. "I live only 20 minutes away but I'd never played the course before this week. I did come to the Ryder Cup to watch, though."

Next best of the Irish are Peter Lawrie and Paul McGinley on one over and in tied 38th position. Lawrie had four birdies and three bogeys in his 71, while McGinley had 15 pars, two birdies and one double for his 72.

Gary Murphy survived the cut after a 73 left him at three over, but the three Ulster competitors, Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and Ronan Rafferty, all missed the cut by a distance. Rafferty included three double bogeys in his 79.

Lee Westwood, struggling to re-establish himself in the upper levels of the game, has taken to using the belly putter, having, as he put it, "found the balls" to put it in his bag for the first time this week.

He is happy enough with that development - "We're building up a relationship" - but could not believe the breaks he had otherwise on the course.

"If something could be bad or it could be good it was bad every time," he said.

Guardian Service

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