Romero pays the penalty as Sjoland takes lead

A TWO-SHOT penalty cost Eduardo Romero the halfway lead in the British Masters at the Forest of Arden yesterday and damaged his hopes of becoming the European tour's oldest winner.

The 49-year-old from Argentina went from one ahead of Swede Patrik Sjoland to one behind when chief referee John Paramor ruled against him after an incident on the 14th green.

Romero just missed a birdie putt from around 15 feet, but as he went to tap in the ball clearly moved. Thinking he had not grounded his putter the South American stepped away and thought he could hole out once the ball was at rest, even when playing partner Barry Lane asked him about it on the spot.

But because it was caught on television there was a shock for Romero. At the end of the round and before he signed his scorecard he was shown the video. He agreed he had made a mistake and by not replacing the ball in its original position a second penalty stroke was added to his 66.

"It was my fault," said Romero. "I thought 100% I didn't touch the grass, but I did. I'm a little sad because I played really good, but that's life. There are two more rounds to go."

So instead it is Sjoland, 114th on this season's Order of Merit, on 10 under par who heads the field going into the third round of the £1.6m tournament.

The 32-year-old had seven birdies in a 65, a score equalled by Lee Westwood as he chases a third win in nine months and that after slumping outside the world's top 250.

Westwood's closing three-putt bogey, however, dropped him to fourth place, one behind not only Romero, but also Brian Davis.

Davis tangled with the rough all the way down the sixth his 15th and double-bogeyed it. But he then hit a three-wood to 10 feet for an eagle on the next and for the second day running birdied the demanding 476-yard ninth.

"I've probably picked up about four shots on the field there," he stated.

Westwood reached as high as fourth in the world three years ago, then went through two-and-a-half years of misery.

"It makes you appreciate the good times a lot more when you have had a slump," he said. "Now I go on the range again, see the improvement and look forward to playing."

Colin Montgomerie, making what he calls a new start to his career after his marriage break-up, is seven behind, but happily settled for surviving the cut with strokes to spare after a 69.

Pre-tournament favourite Darren Clarke, like Montgomerie twice a winner on the course, managed only a 73 and is now nine back, but at least he is still in the event.

Nick Faldo, playing with Westwood and Montgomerie, crashed out on six over after two successive 75s.