Karlsson closing in on title

Padraig Harrington and Lee Westwood failed to make the move they were hoping for when the rain-hit Volvo Masters resumed at Valderrama today – and that made Swede Robert Karlsson an even stronger favourite for the European Order of Merit title.

With the second round still to be completed after less than four hours’ play was possible yesterday, Harrington, needing a top two finish, parred the last five holes for a 71 and five over par total of 147.

That kept him deep in the pack 11 strokes behind leader Soren Kjeldsen, while Westwood, for whom nothing less than victory will do if he is to pip Karlsson to the number one spot, bogeyed the first and third to slip from fifth place to joint 11th on one over.

It was still raining when the action got under way again at 8.30am, but the absence of wind made the Spanish course less of a brute.

Harrington saved par on the long 17th with an 18-foot putt after driving into sand and said before going off for a sleep: “I scrambled well, but obviously I’m very disappointed.

“Everybody seems to be making birdies, which would not have been the case yesterday. The weather has not been kind and I certainly need two more rounds, that’s for sure.”

If further delays were necessary the tournament might be cut to 54 or even 36 holes, but the Open and USPGA champion was keeping his fingers crossed that it could still be played over the full distance.

Westwood, one of 10 players who did not hit a shot yesterday, hit a tree with his first two shots, pulling his drive and pushing his approach.

After bogeying there he dropped another stroke at the short third. Kjeldsen did the same there, but followed with a birdie four to restore his three-stroke lead over Sergio Garcia.

Money list leader Karlsson reeled off eight pars in a row to remain three over with six to play, while playing partner Miguel Angel Jimenez, whose slim Order of Merit hopes almost certainly ended when he dropped seven shots in four nightmare holes yesterday, was still down on nine over.