Ian Woosnam shows form of old - Deutsche Bank Players Championship 2006

Briton Ian Woosnam showed the sort of form that once made him world number one as he finished just a stroke behind halfway leader Swede Robert Karlsson in the European Players' Championship on Friday.

Europe's Ryder Cup captain, winner of the 1991 U.S. Masters, has found a new lease of life through a dramatic cure for perennial back problems and with a fundamental putting change.

The 48-year-old Welshman added six birdies to the nine he claimed on Thursday as he carded a six-under-par 66 to surge to 13-under-par 131. He shares second place with the first round leader Lee Westwood and another Briton Gary Orr.

World number five Retief Goosen, making a late run for his third European order of merit, and his South African compatriot Charl Schwartzel, share fifth place, two strokes off the pace.

Leader Karlsson is one of several players at Gut Kaden trying to seal a place in Woosnam's team with a 600,000 points win. He set up the chance of a second success of the year after victory in the Wales Open, with a seven-birdie 66.

Woosnam's performance, reminiscent of his displays in the late '80s and early '90s when he ruled Europe, gave notice to his potential team for the match against K Club in September, that the captain has not lost the art of leading on the course.

His rediscovered energy has much to do with a revolutionary drug he uses once a week and which has helped his stricken friend and former tour winner Michael King, who has been crippled by arthritis.

"I spoke to Michael King about six weeks ago," said Woosnam. "After taking these injections he's like a new man. He couldn't walk 200 yards and now he's playing on the senior's tour.

"So I decided to take them four weeks ago. They are expensive, 200 pounds ($371.9) a week, and you inject yourself. They've made a big difference.

"It's taken a lot of stiffness out of my back and it's given me the freedom to swing."

Woosnam, seeking to be the European Tour's oldest winner, said that because of the injections he felt none of the stiffness he could have expected after taking a 2-1/2 hour break for a thunderstorm in the first round.

After shooting a 65 on Thursday, Woosnam was delighted to also see his putting fortunes change and on Friday he had another successful day with the putter.

"I'm swinging naturally again and I've putted the best I have for ten years in the last two days," Woosnam said.

"My putting has been so bad. But this week I've moved the ball back in my stance and tried keeping my feet square to the target. It doesn't look very pretty, it doesn't feel very pretty but it's put me on the right line."

He will remain Europe's skipper at the K Club in September wherever his resurgence takes him. "Even if I happen to win the next three or four tournaments in a row, I will still be the captain," Woosnam said.

Swede Karlsson was overlooked for a Ryder Cup place in 1999 despite finishing only one spot out of the automatic top 10. He now lies 15th in the Cup table, five places from qualifying.

"If I win one more then I have a chance," said Karlsson. "I just need to do my thing and see what happens.

"There are another five or six tournaments, including a couple of big ones in America. It's guesswork.

"I cannot protect anything because I'm outside the top ten, but that way I can't get too far ahead of myself."