Lee
Westwood threw down the gauntlet to Colin Montgomerie only for the Scot to pick
it up and throw it right back at him in the second round of the British Masters
on Friday.
The Englishman
compiled a six-under-par 66 on the Duke's Course at Woburn in the morning to leave
Montgomerie with a five-stroke deficit when he began his round later.
But the 36-year-old Scot -- despite a bogey at the first -- replied with a sparkling
eight-under-par 64 as he continued to look the likely winner of the Order of Merit
for the seventh successive year.
He leads with a 13-under-par total of 131. Westwood on 134 holds second place
by one shot from Silvio Grappasonni, a 37-year-old Italian battling to retain
his playing card for next year.
The 37-year-old from Como, who lives in Monte Carlo, carded a 68 for 135.
Standing 139th on the Order of Merit, he needs a place in the top 115 to retain
his playing rights for next year.
British Open champion Paul Lawrie was among those who missed the halfway cut of
143, failing for the first time since his playoff victory at Carnoustie in July.
He shot a level-par 72 on Friday but the damage had been done in his opening 76.
Also out of the tournament
at the halfway stage is Ryder Cup captain Mark James and former captain Seve Ballesteros,
who soared to a 77 on Friday.
Montgomerie, who heads the money list by some 324,000 pounds ($526,500), underlined
with his 64 how difficult it will be for Westwood to catch him.
He chipped in for one birdie but his longest putt among his other eight birdies
was from 10 feet as he repeatedly rifled his approaches close to the hole.
Montgomerie said he and Westwood "tend to be spurring each other on. It's good
for the tournament, for the European Tour and for (the Ryder Cup in) two weeks'
time."
"All credit to Lee
for his 66 when he needed it but some credit to me as well because after my bogey
at the first I was six behind him. To finish three in front is very satisfying.
"I think for both of us
the whole game is based on confidence and both of us are very confident in what
we are doing now," he said.
Westwood had nine birdies in his round to more than offset three bogeys, two of
which came on three-putt greens and the other when he got mud on his ball and
could not control the second shot.
His longest birdie putt was from 12 feet but he missed several others of up to
20 feet that he felt were makeable.
"I
played well and drove well but I didn't make any long putts. Ten under for two
days is about the worst it could have been," he said.
Grappasonni said a session with coach Dennis Pugh on Tuesday sorted out a swing
problem which stemmed from faulty legwork and turned his game around.
"We changed something and it works. The
lower part of the body was not working properly," he explained. "My left leg had
to be straighter during the backswing. Now it works pretty good. It was an easy
change."
"My long legs have
always been a problem but Dennis found a good key and it works. Now I hope the
feeling stays like this for the rest of the year."
Grappasonni, in his 12th year on tour, knows he still has work to do. "I need
a top five finish to keep the card, this week and next. It will be difficult,"
he said.
American Bob May
battled into third spot on eight under par after a 67 set off by an albatross
two at the 502-yard 10th hole -- his first -- that earned him ownership of a horse
for a day as a consolation prize.
If he had done it at the 514-yard 18th he would have won a horse for a year under
an offer from the sponsors, a British firm of bookmakers.
"I
didn't see the ball go in. I hit it left but the wind blew it back on line and
it landed just where we wanted, hit the pin and dropped in. I never had one before,"
he said.
May, whose albatross
was the third on the European Tour this year, is level with Britons John Bickerton
and Raymond Russell.
Overnight
leader Stephen Allan of Australia shot 72 to stay on seven under par, level with,
among others, Welshman Ian Woosnam, winner when the tournament was last played
on this course in 1994.
Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland also reached seven under with a 66 and Australian
Stephen Leaney and Englishman Steve Webster had the same totals.
