Open de France 2006

Britain's John Bickerton led the French Open by a stroke at the halfway stage on Friday, but it proved another torrid day for Seve Ballesteros as the comeback Spaniard carded a second 81.

Bickerton, 36, retained the lead in the second round with a one-under-par 70 that took him to nine-under-par 133, a stroke ahead of fellow-Briton Gary Orr, who fired a 64 in the morning.

Michael Campbell of New Zealand found water on the last to slip three shots off the lead with a 70 to share third place a further shot back, with another Briton, Bradley Dredge (66) Spain's Jose Manuel Lara (68) and Swede Joakim Backstrom (69).

Leader Bickerton, who lost a playoff for the Spanish Open title to Swede Niclas Fasth earlier in the year, faces the most important weekend of his career as he aims for a second European Tour title to go with a minor Canaries Open success last year.

While he picked up $80,000 for his 2005 Tenerife victory, this time he can earn over $800,000 in one of Europe's richest events of the year.

"It's still the same pressure," said Bickerton after a tough afternoon playing in high temperatures at the National. "You have to focus and not get ahead of yourself, that's the only way to do it. Today I stayed in the present and there's still a long way to go."

Orr, rebuilding his career after losing his card at the end of 2004 and regaining it last year, said: "Losing the card made me sit back and look at what I was doing. I was trying too hard and it had the opposite effect."

Tournament favourite David Howell of Britain, Europe's money-list leader, plunged out of the tournament on nine-over-par. Howell told Reuters: "There was no excuse. I just didn't play very well."

Ballesteros insisted, despite his two big scores that took him 20-over-par for last place, he will play the British Open after an absence of five years.

The five-times major champion, who has feuded with tour officials over slow-play warnings in the past, was closely monitored over the last five holes but received no warning.

"I found it difficult to concentrate and that's the reason for my high numbers," said Ballesteros, playing his first tournament since last October's Madrid Open. "That and lack of competition. "Sure I'm going to play the Open. Why not?"