McDowell surges into Cologne lead

A run of form which came just too late to earn him a Ryder Cup debut took Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell into the halfway lead at the Linde German Masters in Cologne today.

While first round pacesetter Padraig Harrington fell away with a 75 and three members of next week’s side – Colin Montgomerie, Paul McGinley and Ian Poulter - missed the halfway cut, the 25-year-old took advantage of calmer afternoon conditions to post a sparkling 64 and 11 under par halfway total of 131.

It included a 123-yard wedge into the 14th hole for an eagle two.

Chasing a first prize of nearly €500,000 he is three in front of France’s Raphael Jacquelin and Australian left-handers Nick O’Hern and Richard Green.

McDowell, a Walker Cup team-mate of Luke Donald three years ago, still had a chance to make Bernhard Langer’s line-up with a week of the race to go.

A closing 62, the lowest tournament round of his life, was not enough, but it was the start of a purple patch which continued when he was sixth in the European Masters in Switzerland last week.

The Portrush golfer played with world number three Ernie Els every day there and beat him by one.

“I learnt that short game is everything,” commented McDowell.

“He didn’t play great, but his short game display was like nothing I have ever seen before.

“His demeanour is something I have tried to model myself on. It helps on days like today – I didn’t get too excited.

“When the Ryder Cup team was announced I was a little disappointed, but I’m not going to beat myself up about not making it.

“I didn’t realise how realistic making the team was, but I will definitely be working as hard as I can to be there in Ireland in 2006. Everything I do will be geared to it.”

Harrington had been one ahead after his opening 66, but refused to be despondent about falling eight strokes adrift.

“I didn’t play any worse and even shooting 75 I’m still happy with my form,” stated the Dubliner.

“You want to be going in the right direction before the Ryder Cup – not playing your best game, but going in the right direction. I played lovely early on, but kept leaving myself awkward putts.

“Then I got distracted by a marshal before my third shot to the third.” He caught it fat, then left his chip short as well and missed a three-foot putt to run up a double bogey seven.

Poulter led at halfway on 16 under par last year, but was a massive 27 shots worse off this time, following his opening 76 with a 79 to exit on 11 over. Only a handful of players finished below him.

He will now use the weekend to forget about it and concentrate on the week ahead – sure to be one of the most exciting of his career.

The same, of course, goes for Montgomerie and McGinley even though they have tasted the Ryder Cup before.

Montgomerie’s 76 for five over came as the High Court in London was granting his ex-wife a “quickie” divorce – they split in April – while McGinley could do no better than seven over and he admitted he might have been better taking the week off.

Of the cup side Thomas Levet is doing best at six under, while Paul Casey stands four under, Darren Clarke three and Miguel Angel Jimenez level par.