Contrasting fortunes for Irish Open stars

David Howell and Stephen Dodd, involved in a play-off for the Irish Open three months ago, went in completely opposite directions in the second round of the €5.9m NEC world championship in Akron today.

Howell, in only his second tournament since spending two months on the sidelines with a torn abdominal muscle, went to the turn in 32 to be up to joint fourth – alongside Luke Donald and Ireland's Paul McGinley.

But Dodd’s start was a complete and utter nightmare.

The Welshman, who won that play-off, double-bogeyed the first three holes and at 10 over par was only one shot off last place in a field reduced to 71 players by Graeme McDowell’s retirement with back trouble yesterday.

Dodd’s opening drive was pushed into the trees and travelled only 170 yards. Then, after recovering onto the fairway, he missed the green completely with a simple-looking pitch and took three more.

At the long second he found sand off the tee and with his third shot flew the green wildly and took four more to hole out.

The 442-yard third saw another adventure. This time Dodd’s approach failed to make the carry over the lake.

Howell, in contrast, improved from level par to three under and at that point was only two behind Tiger Woods, who took sole possession of the lead with an 18-foot birdie putt at the short fifth.

The Swindon golfer, who suffered his injury at the US Open in June and missed the cut on his return at the US PGA last week, opened with two 12-foot birdie putts and after being bunkered at the fourth and bogeying he came back with two more birdies.

A superb tee shot on the 219-yard seventh finished five feet from the flag and two holes later Howell pitched to seven feet and underlined again what a good putter he is.

This weekend gives him the chance to seal a place in the elite 16-man field for the HSBC World Match Play championship at Wentworth next month, when golf’s biggest first prize of €1.5m will be on offer again.

Two spots are handed out off the European Order of Merit after next week’s event in Germany and Swede Niclas Fasth and Howell occupy them at the moment - with Dodd among those chasing.

A winner’s cheque of €1.1m this Sunday is not be sniffed at, of course, and McGinley and Donald’s interest in it grew when both had a hat-trick of birdies.

Donald, who looks likely to be at Wentworth as well with defending champion Ernie Els injured and Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson among those expected to turn down the chance to play, resumed on the back nine on one under and bogeyed the 11th.

But he holed from just over 20 feet at the 13th, pitched to six feet on the next and hit his tee shot to within five feet at the 221-yard 15th.

McGinley, playing two groups behind, set off again at one over, but had four birdies in the first seven holes of the inward half.

In went successive putts of eight, 18 and 20 feet starting at the 11th and he then had a real bonus on the long 16th, just carrying the lake with his pitch and holing from nearly 35 feet.

Woods shared top spot overnight with world number two Singh and Swede Henrik Stenson.

Singh reeled off 10 pars in a row to remain four under, while Stenson, who had been six under with four to play yesterday, was in trouble straight away.

In the trees off the first tee he caught a branch with his attempted recovery and advanced less than 50 yards.

He bogeyed that and the fourth, but did then birdie the eighth to rejoin Howell, Donald and McGinley.

Kenneth Ferrie, like Stenson playing his first World Golf Championship event, covered the front nine in 33 with birdies at the third and seventh to be in a tie for 14th at one under.

Colin Montgomerie, thanks to a birdie at the long second, was alongside him - and one ahead of playing partner Mickelson, the US PGA champion resuming with a bogey.

Nick Dougherty, joint leader until he closed with a bogey last night, fell away with bogeys at the 11th, 14th, 15th and 17th.

Ian Poulter stood two over after seven and Lee Westwood mixed three birdies with three bogeys in his first 10 holes to be three over, while Paul Casey and Padraig Harrington were further down the field at four over, Stephen Gallacher stood five over and Darren Clarke, winner on the course two years ago, was a lowly 62nd at seven over after just four holes.