Rose makes early move in Gleneagles

Justin Rose made a flying start to his second round of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles – on the day when he might achieve his Ryder Cup dream.

If three of the six players chasing him miss the halfway cut, Rose will be in Nick Faldo’s side no matter what he does.

Birdies at the 10th and 12th holes after he had resumed on the inward half at level par lifted the 28-year-old into a share of seventh place.

Alongside him, though, were two of his challengers. Dane Soren Hansen, one spot below Rose at ninth on the points table, resumed with four pars in a row, while Ross Fisher, who lies 13th, birdied the long 12th.

Fisher needs a top-three finish on Sunday to have a chance of winning his first cap, but top two to get past Rose – assuming, that is, Rose finishes well down the field.

Another on two under par and going well was Darren Clarke, who in the week after he won in Holland was becoming an even stronger favourite for one of Faldo’s two wild cards.

Colin Montgomerie had not given up hope of one himself - his birdie on the 374-yard 13th put him at level par, but with Paul Casey and Open runner-up Ian Poulter trying to impress Faldo too – they both insist their decision to stay in America does not mean they have been promised a pick - Montgomerie may have to win to force his way into the team for a ninth time.

After further birdies on the 16th and 17th Rose was hoping for a chance to join Frenchman Gregory Havret - a late starter today - in the lead with another one at the long 18th.

However, he did well to walk off the green with a bogey six. His drive having been pulled into heavy rough, his second shot moved the ball only a few feet and he was still not on the green in four.

But at three under he was still going well, joint third with a group which also included Clarke – he also made two on the 170-yard 17th – and Fisher.

The European Open champion was tremendously lucky on the par five 16th, though. Going for the green in two off a good drive he struck it so poorly that he did not even make the water short of the green.

While he got away with a par there Montgomerie pitched to three feet, then chipped to six feet for another birdie two holes later.

On two under the eight-time European number one – and eight-time Ryder Cup player – was up into a tie for 10th and his wild card chance was far from buried.

Hansen also turned at two under, but had had a nasty moment on the 12th when, escaping from the thick rough, he grimaced and appeared to have hurt his shoulder.

Thankfully, within a few holes it looked to have eased off.