Jimenez leads by one from Jacobson

Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson made his bid for a last-gasp Ryder Cup debut with a spectacular seven-under-par 65 in the BMW International Open second round on Friday.

It took him to eight-under-par 136, two strokes behind the new leader, Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez, whose consistent form sealed his Ryder Cup place several months ago.

A chip-in eagle, five birdies and a determined save for par after going into water, kept Jacobson's Oakland Hills dream alive.

"I haven't counted properly but I think I'll need to be at least in the top three in the tournament to make it," said Jacobson, who's season was disrupted in May when he took time off for the birth of his first child.

Jacobson looked a certainty for Europe's team at the beginning of the year, but despite a successful run on the US Tour, he slid out of the European world table top five before last Sunday's qualifying mark.

He lies 13th on the (joint) Ryder Cup table, three places from automatic qualifying.

Asked if he would be annoyed if he did not make it and did not get chosen by captain Bernhard Langer as a wild-card, world-ranked 26th Jacobson replied: "Yes and No.

"There are other players who need a spot but I've moved up in the world in the last couple of years.

"It would be hard as the fourth-best European player in the world and I didn't get into a 12-man team."

Jimenez qualified for the Ryder Cup in fourth place on the world points list and goes in search of his fourth win of the year after a blemish-free 66 containing six birdies.

The Spaniard aims to be playing just as well when he makes his second Ryder Cup appearance in three weeks' time.

"I hope I can keep the same form for the Ryder Cup. I've played well all year," said Jimenez, who is one stroke ahead of first round leader Retief Goosen of South Africa and Britain's David Lynn.

Austrian Marcus Brier shares fourth place with Jacobson.

There was disappointment for Europe's top player in the Ryder Cup table.

Padraig Harrington missed the cut as his current patch of poor form continued, but the Irishman dismissed suggestions he was worried about it.

"I'm not in the least concerned and I'm glad of the extra two days off because I can now have the laser treatment I need on my eyes," said Harrington after a 75 left him three-over-par.

Three of the players most in contention for a Ryder Cup wild card, Colin Montgomerie, Luke Donald and Alex Cejka, are all still in winning contention, with Montgomerie only three strokes off the lead.

Montgomerie's three dropped shots around the turn, taking a double-bogey when finding a ditch at the ninth, kept him off the top of the leaderboard.

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