Woosnam shows the way

Ryder Cup vice-captain Ian Woosnam showed the European team how it should be done and found plenty able to follow his example in the £1.8m Linde German Masters.

Woosnam, who would have been playing at the Belfry but for the two-shot penalty for carrying too many clubs in the final round of the Open last year, carded a brilliant 64 to claim a one-shot lead at the halfway stage at Gut Larchenhof.

And the former world number one was delighted to see his form mirrored by several of the home side’s big names with the delayed contest now less than two weeks away.

Lee Westwood produced his best round for more than a year with a 67, Padraig Harrington fired a 66 despite suffering another minor neck injury and Colin Montgomerie appeared to be free of the long-standing back complaint as he also scored 66.

Of the nine team members competing for the £315,000 first prize, only Phillip Price missed the cut after a 71 left him level par, but the Welshman insisted he was happy with his game.

At 12 under Woosnam was one ahead of first-round leader Stephen Leaney of Australia, who added a 69 to his opening 64, and English duo Warren Bennett and Nick Dougherty who both conjured up grandstand finishes.

Bennett fired five birdies in his last six holes in his 66, while former amateur star Dougherty had two eagles in three holes on the back nine in his 65.

Woosnam attended a team meeting on Tuesday in Cologne and admitted he did find it strange being on the non-playing side after eight appearances, but he has plenty of advice for anyone struggling with their game.

“Sometimes it is a little difficult being on the other side and talking to the lads and trying to give them advice,” said Woosnam. “But to the guys who are not playing well I have explained I have gone in there many times not playing well and coming out with four and a half points out of five.

“I did that in 1993 when I played with Peter Baker for two days, who played fantastic, and with Bernhard Langer and managed a half in the singles. In matchplay you only need to hit a few good shots and you don’t have to worry about taking an eight.

“It only takes a couple of good rounds and a bit of confidence. You only need a couple of good tournaments under your belt and you are away again. Everybody plays in streaks and this is the type of course where you can attack the flag and get a bit of confidence going.”

That was certainly the case for Westwood whose 67 was his best round since the Volvo Scandinavian Masters in August last year and left him just five off the lead.

“I’m delighted and it could not have been any more than 67, I missed a lot of good chances,” said the 29-year-old, who has slumped to 133rd in the world after two years without a win.

“I feel I have taken two or three shots too many and I haven’t been able to say that for a few months. The last two days have been the best ball striking of the year, probably the first time I have hit the ball like I did in 2000 (when he won seven times to become European number one).

“I have looked at the flags more often rather than looking at the fat part of the green. The nice thing was today I mis-hit a couple of shots and they only went 20 feet left or right of the hole, whereas they have been going 40 yards left or right. What I have worked on this week will work in the short and long term.”

Harrington admitted he felt like “a bit of an idiot” after his self-inflicted injury caused by another practice session late in the evening after his first round on Thursday.

“I worked on the game for five or six hours on Tuesday, hitting 20 baskets of balls, and that has put too much of a strain on it,” said the Dubliner, who injured the right side of his neck rather than the left which has been bothering him since the USPGA Championship.

“I feel like an idiot, coming in every day with something else wrong. After I strengthen it in the winter I’ll come out next year and have a neck like a rugby player, or maybe no neck at all, just shoulders.

“I’m going to have to be very cautious. I would love to have the intention of hitting less balls but you hit less depending on your confidence in your swing at the time.

“I have to figure out a happy medium and if I have something to work on, limit myself to just working on that rather than trying to pile it all in. When I go and see Bob Torrance I work for two and a half hours and only hit 130 balls in that space of time.

“I hit 20 baskets on Tuesday but I would never do that at home because I have to pick them up myself.”

His likely playing partner Paul McGinley laughed off any injury worries over Harrington however, suggesting his World Cup winning team-mate is something of a hypochondriac.

“We have to have something wrong with him,” McGinley joked. “It takes the pressure off him. He was the same playing football, he was always injured. If he’s fit then we’ve got something to worry about.”