Westwood slips from top spot

Swede Peter Hedblom chipped in twice and Australian Matthew Millar finished with a 100-footer as they took over at the top from Lee Westwood in the Andalucian Open at Aloha on Friday.

Defending champion Westwood, having opened with a seven-under-par 65, followed up with a 73, three-putting the last from only six feet.

At the same hole 30 minutes later, Millar carved his drive into the trees, came up short of the green and then sank his pitch for a three and a 69.

Hedblom, meanwhile, struggled with a heavy cold but as well as making a 25-foot eagle putt on the long fifth, holed from off the green at both the seventh and 13th to be round in 67.

The 38-year-old, who earlier this month was a fraction of an inch away from a successful defence of the Malaysian Open, reached halfway alongside Millar on the eight-under-par total of 136.

They lead by one from English pair Richard Dinwiddie and David Lynn and Frenchman Thomas Levet.

Westwood dropped to joint sixth on six under, while English amateur champion Danny Willett fell away to three under with a disappointing 75 after starting his first European Tour event with a brilliant 66.

“The greens are a bit trickier in the afternoon – they get a bit iffy,” said Westwood. “I probably deserved better than 73, but you have days like that.

“It would have been nice to two-putt the last from six feet, but what can you do? It jumped straight left on me.” The second putt he missed was from under two feet.

Hedblom forgot to bring his nasal spray with him, and stated: “Walking up the hills on the front nine I was so tired and I told my wife to go and get it from the house we are renting.

“Before she got back, though, something was brought to me and hopefully I’ll be feeling better tomorrow.”

Millar, who had to go back to the qualifying school to regain his Tour card last November, commented: “I’ve never led at halfway before, but I felt I was going to play good.

“I don’t have the most orthodox swing – my backswing’s all over the place and pretty similar to Jim Furyk – but the changes I’m trying to make have been coming together.”

Alongside Westwood is Welshman Bradley Dredge, who needs to win on Sunday to climb back into the world’s top 50 just in time to earn a place in the Masters.

Considering he finished last year’s tournament with a round of 83 you might think he would be in no rush to return to Augusta National, but nothing could be further from the truth.

At his first major in America 11 months ago he was three behind and in seventh place with a round to play. And even though it all went horribly wrong on the final day, he commented: “The week was the biggest thrill I’ve had in my career.

“If I’d finished with a 68 I’d be Masters champion – you don’t get many opportunities like that.

“I really enjoyed Augusta and having to win here to get back in is a great goal to have.” He would have been sharing the lead in Spain but for taking a double-bogey seven on the fifth, his 14th hole.

Jose Maria Olazabal is down on one under, but delighted to have survived the halfway cut in his first event since last August’s US PGA Championship.

The 42-year-old, likely now to travel to America for next week’s Houston Open and then the Masters, is still battling rheumatic pains in his lower back and had no great expectations.

“Making the cut is fabulous,” said Olazabal, who has had only two bogeys in his opening 36 holes.

He is still not entertaining any thoughts, though, of emulating what he did in 1997 after 18 months out – 12th, fourth and then first in his first three tournaments back.

“That was totally unexpected and I don’t think you will see me repeating that,” he commented.

Tour rookie Dinwiddie, the 25-year-old from Barnard Castle in County Durham, played in the 2005 Walker Cup in America and is a graduate from last season’s Challenge Tour.

Eleventh in the New Zealand Open in December, he had a best-of-the-day 65 containing eight birdies, and said: “I’ve been looking forward to playing the European Tour since I was a kid – Nick Faldo was always my childhood hero.”

Lynn won in Holland in 2004, but the Stoke golfer has gradually slipped back down the Tour rankings since then. The highlight of his 67 was an 80-yard pitch into the 16th hole for an eagle three.

Former Ryder Cup player Levet would have been joint leader but for a closing bogey. It did follow six earlier birdies, though.

Darren Clarke, playing with Ryder Cup partner Westwood, missed the cut after rounds of 73 and 76, but former Open champion Paul Lawrie fought back from an opening 78 to make it through with a 66.