Back to form Webster soars to top at Gleneagles

STEVE WEBSTER returned to the form which gave him his first European Tour victory in May as he climbed to the top of the Gleneagles leaderboard.

A week before he makes his US PGA debut - his first-ever tournament in America - Webster came home in a brilliant 31 to join countryman Mark Foster as halfway leader of the Johnnie Walker Championship.

But the day saw yet another Baltusrol-bound player pull out of the event and leave a question mark over his participation in the final major of the season.

Stephen Gallacher was the third golfer to quit because of injury. Both David Howell and Colin Montgomerie were the first two.

With not a single member of the world's top 40 around for the weekend, Webster now has a golden opportunity to add to his Italian Open win, and provide a boost to his confidence heading for New Jersey.

"Next week is a big week for me and I'm really looking forward to it," said the Warwickshire golfer, round in 67 for a six-under-par total of 138.

"Any competition when you are playing well is good preparation. I don't know what the course is like next week, but this is quite a tricky driving course, so it should stand me in good stead.

"It's going to be difficult, but if I am playing well I will love it. I know I will."

Webster has already been to the States this year, but that was just to celebrate his 30th birthday in Las Vegas in January.

"Broke even, I think," he added. "That's pretty good."

In addition to using 'mind magician' Jamil Qureshi, Webster has followed Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley in turning to Sam Torrance's father Bob for coaching help.

"I'm not going full-time (with Torrance), but we worked at the Open and he gave me some advice last night," said Webster.

"I said what I was doing with my driver and it was a lot better today.

"I've just got to turn my shoulders a bit more.

"I was getting a bit lazy, I think, and he gave me a little drill to do which is working well," he said.

Meanwhile, Ryder Cup star Paul Casey took another step on the road to recovery after the worst slump of his career. With a level par he ended a run of six successive missed cuts.

He has two more rounds now to build some more confidence ahead of the US PGA.