| Cologne,
Germany 25th September 1998 -
USPGA champion
Vijay Singh blamed easy pin positions for a glut of birdies in the second
round of the German Open on Friday after he took sole possession of the lead.
Several challengers
slipped late on, including joint first-round leader Colin Montgomerie, as
the Fijian's morning 5-under-par 67 for a 12-under-par 132 total earned him a
one-shot lead over six other golfers to take into the third round. Singh
confessed that his putter had "turned a bit sour on me today," but warned
that the event at the new wide-open Jack Nicklaus-designed Gut Larchenhof
course was becoming a putting contest. "Unless
they tuck the pins away in tougher positions it's just going to be a putting dual
at the weekend," said the Fijian, who admitted that poor putting had denied
him a bigger lead. Four
of his five birdies came in the first six holes, but as his putter failed to respond
Singh collected just one more coming home. That
gave his rivals hope, but they all failed to catch him. Montgomerie's worrying
hook resurfaced late on to lead to a bogey on the 16th and the Scot missed an
eagle chance from only eight feet on the previous hole as he carded 68 for 133.
At least Montgomerie
matched the player he is hoping to replace on top of the Volvo Ranking order of
merit on Sunday night, fellow Briton Lee Westwood. Montgomerie,
Westwood, Swedes Robert Karlsson and Jarmo Sandelin, another Briton,
Steve Webster, and Ireland's Padraig Harrington with a course record 64,
are all on 133. Karlsson
bogeyed the last and Webster the 16th to deny themselves a share of top place,
but Westwood, suddenly remembering a putting tip from his father, produced a late
eagle and birdie to keep Montgomerie at bay. Montgomerie
was frustrated by his finish and strode straight off to the practice ground to
try yet again to cut out his errant hooking. "I
hit a 5-iron that should have gone 197 yards and not 210 yards on the 16th because
I was coming in so closed again." said Montgomerie. "It's the same old
problem. I did it with a 6-iron on the ninth to drop a shot and I'm going to the
range to try to sort it out." Westwood
sorted his putting after an indifferent time until the last four holes. "I
wasn't quite getting the putter face returning to the ball square so I remembered
Dad saying I putt better with my weight on my front foot, " he said. "I
must have been favouring my right foot because of my left hip injury, so I tried
it out and it worked. "If
I'd done it earlier my 67 could have been a 62. Hopefully the putting will now
stay with me, then I won't care if it does become a putting contest. As long as
I'm putting well." Spaniards
Santiago Luna and José Maria Olazábal challenged strongly, lying on
134 and 135 respectively. England's
Nick Faldo made his second successive cut to ensure Ryder Cup points, carding
a 69 for 140. His playing-partner Brad Faxon shot 72 to also beat the cut
by two shots but there was no luck for the other American visitor, Scott Hoch,
whose 72 for 146 left him four outside the cut-off. English
18-year-old Justin Rose, fourth in July's Open Championship, missed his seventh
cut of seven starts with a 72 for 148. | 
