McGinley well placed to end drought

PAUL McGINLEY is poised to end a four-year winless drought after producing his lowest opening two round scoring effort in 15 months in the Omega European Masters in Switzerland.

McGinley recorded three birdies in a second round three under par 68 to move into a share of fourth place on eight under par and just two strokes behind South African Thomas Aiken on 10-under par.

Aiken carded a 64 under a lift-clean-and-place rule on the rain-softened Crans-sur-Sierre course to head the duo of Welshman Bradley Dredge (65) and Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez (68) tied in second place.

McGinley is among a group of four players on eight under par that also included in-form Englishman Simon Dyson (71) who captured last fortnight’s KLM Open title.

The 44-year old McGinley has not tasted success since capturing the 2005 season-ending Volvo Masters in Spain.

But with the Swiss event heralding the start of the 2010 Ryder Cup qualifying process, McGinley has warmed to the occasion with his best 36-hole starting score since last year’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

“I am there or thereabouts and though it’s been a pretty dull year up to now, it’s important I can play as I have done for the past two days and produce two good scores over the weekend,” he said. “Once I do that the finishing position I finish in will be pleasing.”

Darren Clarke holed a 12-foot birdie putt at the last in a score of 65 for a five under par tally.

But Clarke was then rushing off to get a putting lesson from playing partner and fellow Ulsterman Graeme McDowell who carded a 70 for a four under total.

“G-Mac promised to give me a putting lesson even though I hit in on the right line by mistake and it managed to go in,” Clarke joked.

“I had three-putted 17 from 30 feet and while my stroke has been okay, my speed has been terrible so that’s why G-Mac is going to try and sort me out.”

But while Clarke went to work in deteriorating light on his putting, Rory McIlroy had earlier spent the afternoon sorting out the longest club in his bag.

McIlroy posted two bogeys and a seventh hole double bogey in driving out-of-bounds with his 3-wood shot at the short par four, seventh.

The 20-year old ended with a birdie and a score of 71 to continue a trend of not shooting above par in six Swiss rounds.

Joining McDowell and McIlroy on four under par is Ballyclare’s Gareth Maybin who made it five cuts in succession after a 68.

Maybin capped his day with three birdies in succession mid round.

But missing the two-under par cut was Irish Open champ Shane Lowry (72 & 69), Gary Murphy (70 & 72) along with Portuguese Open winning Michael Hoey (71 & 74).