Lawrie finds his touch

Paul Lawrie could be getting a call from former Ryder Cup partner Colin Montgomerie following a second round 64 in the Telefonica Madrid Open at Club de Campo today.

The seven-birdie round, finished off in style with a 40-foot putt, swept the 1999 Open champion into the early clubhouse lead on a day when play was delayed for two hours because of frost.

Montgomerie is captain of the Britain and Ireland team to face Continental Europe in the Seve Trophy at El Saler near Valencia in two weeks’ time and has one wild card to name next Monday.

For the past two matches Montgomerie has chosen the leading player in the world rankings who does not earn an automatic place – and with Nick Faldo having already said he is unavailable Lawrie is currently next in line.

“I’d love to play again,” said the 34-year-old from Aberdeen, part of the side that won at Druids Glen in Ireland two years ago and the one that lost at Sunningdale in 2000.

Lawrie’s last victory was the Wales Open at Celtic Manor 14 months ago, but he has been bothered by groin and neck injuries this season.

“I now feel the best I have for two or three years,” he said, “but I’ve been putting like a dog.”

Because things were so bad on the greens he started asking other players about their technique – and did not find one who watched the putter rather than the ball as he did.

“It’s something I’ve always done and there was no need to change while it was working. But when it breaks down you’ve got to try something different and I’m keeping my eyes on the ball now.

“It sounds simple, but it’s difficult thing to do. I putted great today, though.”

Lawrie was six adrift of England’s Paul Casey at the start of the day, but Casey was not teeing off again until late afternoon and like half the field was unlikely to finish his second round.

As he resumed on eight under Lawrie stood on the nine under mark of 133 and level with Australian Peter Fowler, who had three holes to play.

Spanish star Sergio Garcia missed two three-footers and a five-footer as he remained seven under with one to go, while Padraig Harrington, twice a winner on the Club de Campo course, double-bogeyed the 12th – his third – and then took a bogey six on the seventh to be only three under.