Goosen aiming to stay on top

Retief Goosen went into today’s second round of the Linde German Masters perfectly placed to step up his bid to retain his status of European number one.

The South African currently lies second in the Order of Merit, trailing compatriot Ernie Els by just over £300,000 (€476,000), but could wipe out that deficit at a stroke with victory on Sunday.

And the former US Open champion made the ideal start at Gut Larchenhof yesterday by carding a seven-under-par 65 on the Jack Nicklaus-designed lay-out.

Starting on the 10th after an hour and 40-minute delay due to early morning fog, Goosen birdied four of his first six holes and recovered from a bogey on the 17th with a birdie on the last to be out in 32.

Two more birdies and a bogey followed on the closing stretch before an eagle on the seventh took him to seven under alongside Welshman Mark Pilkington, just one behind overnight leader Stephen Leaney of Australia.

"The next three events are the most important ones to try and win the Order of Merit and I will be trying my best," said Goosen, who is chasing the £315,000 (€500,000) first prize in Cologne and further lucrative pay-days in next week’s American Express Championship in Ireland and the Dunhill Links championship the week after the Ryder Cup.

"I’m keen to keep my title and I would like to play well enough to make Ernie come back after the US Tour championship to play in the Volvo Masters. It would be nice if that was the decisive tournament."

Leaney’s goal is also the Volvo Masters at Valderrama, for two reasons.

The 33-year-old from Perth is keen to play the highly-rated 1997 Ryder Cup venue for the first time, and if he is able to do so it will mean he has been made exempt from the second stage of qualifying for the US Tour which is staged at the same time.

"Getting my US Tour card has always been the goal but I missed out by one shot in 2000 and did not go last year because of September 11," said Leaney, who credited a new putting routine for his flawless eight-birdie round.

"Being Australian it makes no difference spending nine months of the year in Europe or America.

"I’ll find out today if I’m exempt until the final stages of qualifying and I hope I am because the second stage clashes with the Volvo Masters at Valderrama which I’d love to play."

Leaney could also qualify for next week’s American Express Championships in Ireland by moving into the top 20 on the Order of Merit at the end of the week, and added: "I had planned to go home but that will change if I make it, but there is a long way to go."