Dodd takes over at the top

One day after his World Cup-winning partner Bradley Dredge set the pace in the European Open Stephen Dodd took over at the top at the K Club near Dublin today.

Dodd followed up his opening 67 with a 69 in the windy conditions to set an eight-under-par target for the rest of the field.

He was one ahead of Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke, and also Dredge and Swede Niclas Fasth, the two overnight pacesetters who were among the later starters in the second round.

Colin Montgomerie is only four behind and American Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman one further back, but local man Paul McGinley was left with a long wait to discover if he had made the cut.

McGinley, who has slid from fourth to eighth in the cup standings this year, is desperately keen to be part of the action on the adjoining Palmer Course in September and partnering his captain Ian Woosnam the Dubliner eagled the long seventh to finish with a 71 and two-over total.

It might be one shot too many, but that would not be known until much later in the day.

Meanwhile, Dutchman Maarten Lafeber refused to speak after his round about the incident when he threw his putter in a lake – presumably in frustration.

Asked to talk to reporters after signing for a 73 and one-under aggregate Lafeber commented: “If it’s about the putter, no.”

His playing partner Kevin Stadler, the son of former Masters champion Craig, said that he thought Lafeber had used an eight iron over the closing stretch and since he had missed the cut himself Stadler added: “I should have done it too!”

Dodd comes across as the most placid of characters, but when told of Lafeber’s actions the Cardiff golfer said: “We’ve all thrown clubs at times.

“I’ve not done it into a lake and I’ve not done it at a tournaments, but I snapped one practising not long ago. It’s pure frustration.”

After winning the China and Irish Opens last season Dodd linked up with Dredge for a superb victory at the World Cup.

But this year has been a disappointment for him so far. He is down in 90th place on the Order of Merit.

It takes just one week to turn things around, though, and Dodd had a hat-trick of birdies at the end of the front nine to climb into contention, holed from 20 feet at the 14th and after bogeying the short 17th came back with another birdie at the long last.

For the past two years Clarke’s goal has been of secondary importance to his wife Heather’s battle with cancer.

“Things are tough at the moment, but when I come out I still want to play as well as I can,” he said.

“Yes, I would like to make the Ryder Cup team, but I don’t know whether I’m going to be playing in a couple of months’ time.

“I ground it out at times today. With all that’s going on there’s no point giving up on anything.”

Everyone needs some luck once in a while and Clake had two shots of good fortune.

Clarke grabbed four birdies in his first six holes, but the first of them was something he did not expect.

Clarke was convinced that his second shot had gone into the lake by the 10th green. So convinced, in fact, that although he could not see where the ball landed he asked caddie Billy Foster for another and walked down the hole ready to drop it into play under penalty.

It was not necessary, though. The original had taken only a little hop on landing and had avoided the water by a matter of inches.

After that fortunate break Clarke did what all good golfers do. He took advantage of it by chipping to eight feet and made the birdie putt.

He did run up a six on the long 18th to turn in 33, but a chip at the next which was heading way past hit the flag and dropped in.