DES SMYTH is 44 but can still produce impressive accuracy from the tee, and he was the unexpected Irish success story of a whirlwind second round to the Turespana Masters at Maspalomas yesterday.
The former Ryder Cup player had a second 70 to be six-under-par at the halfway stage, one ahead of Padraig Harrington whose determination not to fail for the second week running carried him to a fighting 69.
David Higgins, despite four putts on the last green, also went through to the third round, but Darren Clarke, Philip Walton, Christy O'Connor Jnr and Raymond Burns all missed out.
The new favourite for the £58,330 title is England's Lee Westwood, who recently beat Clarke and Paul McGinley to capture the Malaysian Open. The 23- year-old former British Youth champion, who gained his first Tour success in last summer's Scandinavian Masters and also won the VISA Masters in Japan in the autumn, careered to a 63 to break the course record by three shots.
His 10-under-par romp included two eagles and six birdies and sent him racing to an 11-under-par total of 135, two strokes ahead of Jose-Maria Olazabal, who shot 67.
Switzerland's Paolo Quirici, who had 64, was one shot further back, along with five others sharing third place.
Westwood capped his career-best outing by holing a 138-yard wedge shot at the ninth, his final hole for an eagle two.
Smyth, who was three-under-par for his first nine holes on Thursday, repeated the feat from the 10th yesterday. "I have failed to capitalise each time," he said, "and yesterday it was more frustrating because I twice got to seven below and let it slip."
Three putts at the fourth for a par five, and at the sixth for a bogey, were the principal reasons, although his failure to hit the green at the short eighth also off-set his birdies at the fifth and seventh.
"But I am driving the ball well and I am looking forward to a good weekend," he added.
So is Harrington, after looking on the brink of departure when he was only one-under at the turn. By then it was clear the cut would fall at two below, but the Dubliner, who spent last weekend having a concentrated short game workout with coach Howard Bennett, saw it pay off.
He holed from eight feet to birdie the 11th, and birdied three of the last four holes, claiming a two at the 16th and then cracking two woods to the fringe of the 18th to be home in 33.
Higgins was five under with one to play, but paid the price for carelessness after leaving a 20-foot approach putt a yard from the hole. He missed that and, in trying to trap in the next, failed as well.
But he finished with 71 to be one inside the qualifying mark and three ahead of Ryder Cup prospect, Clarke. He rarely looked the part in a very moderate 76.
Walton, who missed Portugal last week to rest, was also well below his best and his closing sixes, both the result of three putts, summed up his frustration on the greens. He had a second 74.
O'Connor Jnr took 76 for 147, while Burns beat the card with a 72 but was just outside the safety mark.
