OVERNIGHT leader Ross Fisher had company at the top before he had the chance to resume the European Open at The London Club in Kent today.
Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, two behind after his opening 65, sank a 25-footer on the short 11th and birdied the long 12th as well to join the Englishman on nine under par.
A winner in Korea earlier this season, McDowell then moved into t
he lead on his own with a four at the 548-yard 15th, but bogeyed two holes later.
The pair were two ahead of 48-year-old South African David Frost, whose latest bid to become the oldest winner in European Tour history continued with four successive pars, while Welshman Stuart Manley covered the front nine in 32 to go fourth on six under.
Victory on Sunday would put McDowell sixth in the Ryder Cup race, although he is not putting his cup ambitions at the forefront of his mind, high priority though it is.
McDowell sees the last two months of the points race in very simple terms. "I know I've got to perform," he says.
It is probably a good thing that he is not looking at the table at the moment because on Sunday he fell out of a top-ten place.
He said: "I'm trying to take the emphasis off the Ryder Cup. I'm just focusing day-by-day and not looking beyond Sunday of the European Open right now.
"All I can do is stay in the present and try to play my own game.
"I'm still having a great year and going in the right direction. The race is really only just beginning now we're in the meat and bones of the season. Scheduling's tough for every player, but I feel mentally and physically fresh and I'm probably not spending too much time on the range.
"I'm trying to get as much rest and relaxation as possible – and staying off the Guinness on weeks off."
His playing partner Sergio Garcia made a significant move, going to the turn in 32 with birdies on the 12th, 15th, 16th and difficult 471-yard 18th, where he struck his approach to 12 feet.
Nineteen-year-old Rory McIlroy was alongside him on five under and joint fifth, while Justin Rose mixed two birdies with two bogeys to stand three under.
Paul McGinley, six under until he dropped three strokes in the last two holes yesterday, three-putted the 11th, but came back with birdies on the 12th and 15th to be four under.
Former amateur world number one Danny Willett, playing his third professional event, hit back from an opening 78 by going to the turn in 31. That put him one over, inside the expected cut-off mark.
Meanwhile, on the US Tour, Steve Marino fired an opening five-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the AT&T National on the Blue Course at Congressional Country Club.
Marino leads Bob Estes, Jeff Overton, Frank Lickliter and Rod Pampling, who all shot four-under 66s, while seven players are two strokes back after three-under 67s. Marino birdied three of his first four holes.
The full article contains 545 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
