Ballesteros back in contention

Colin Montgomerie had just birdied the 18th to take the lead on 11-under-par after 54 holes of the Volvo PGA Championship on the West Course here yesterday, when fate lent a hand. The Scot's closing effort for a 65, happened to coincide with a double-bogey on the 15th from Ernie Els, the rival he fears most.

Though Els recovered the strokes before the end of the round, he still remained two strokes adrift at the end of a most eventful day. It was a day highlighted by splendid progress from Padraig Harrington, only three strokes back, and by a thrilling 65 from Seve Ballesteros, also on eight under.

"This was very similar to the way I played in the (British) Open at Lytham when I shot 65," said the jubilant Spaniard. Perhaps it was stretching a point to compare it with the glorious final round which delivered the 1988 title, but after his recent torment, nobody would have dared argue.

Meanwhile, the Irish challenge was strengthened by an admirable 68 from Paul McGinley, who finished on seven under after two closing birdies. But it became a grim exercise for Darren Clarke, whose poor iron play caused him to find only seven greens in regulation. Even sinking a 50-foot eagle putt at the long 12th, failed to avert a dispiriting 75.

Given Michael Jonzon's decidedly modest form this season, it was hardly surprising that the Swede relinquished the overnight lead. And there was a similar slide from prominence for Australia's Peter Lonard. But they remain in the leading 13 who are separated by only three strokes.

Harrington's best performance at Wentworth was 13th place in this event two years ago. But his current prominence comes as no surprise, given the quality of his short game. Every player was missing greens but the Dubliner was recovering better than most.

"This is a product of the serious work I did in practice early in the week," he said afterwards. "I enjoyed the round and I suppose the most important thing is that my ball-striking has got better each day."

Harrington was, in fact, joint leader on eight under par at one stage of the afternoon. That was towards the end of a sparkling front nine of 32 which contained four birdies and a lone bogey at the seventh. And the quality of his bunker-play was illustrated by another holed recovery. On Friday, it was on the short fifth; this time it came at the sixth.

But he had the unnerving experience of missing a two-foot putt to bogey the short 10th. And at the long 12th, he conceded three strokes to Montgomerie and his own playing partner Thomas Bjorn, by running up a bogey where they carded eagles. On this occasion, his problem stemmed from a pulled drive into trees.

Harrington went on, however, to cover the remaining holes in two under, holing a 30-foot putt for birdie at the 13th and reaching the front of the green at the long 18th with a five-iron second.

Ballesteros was clearly pleased with his best scoring round since the Lancome Trophy last September. In fact, given the quality of the West Course, compared with St Nom-la-Breteche, it bore more realistic comparison to a 64 in the Italian Open five years ago.

"If people think I'm finished, only time will be the judge," he said. "Either way, I don't have to prove anything to anyone, only to myself. I have a bad foot, bad back, bad elbow and a pain in my neck, but it is better to have 20 small things than one big thing wrong with you. No?"

Ballesteros had a moderately good morning crowd following him down the first when, in his own words, he made "a good four from the middle of the trees right". But by the time he came up the 18th, the Pied Piper process had come into play.

With a large gallery thronging the right side of the fairway, he produced a classic, military finish - right into the rough, left into the rough and right to within six feet of the flag. The third shot was a majestic, 40-yard pitch which was never likely to finish any further from the target. And he holed it, naturally.

He also birdied the 17th, where he pitched to five feet. But highlight of the round was an eagle three at the 501-yard fourth, which he reduced to a three-wood, four-iron and a 15-foot putt. The choice of those clubs reflected the overall quality of his ball striking. And predictably, the old magic was in the blade, resulting in a total of only 24 putts.

McGinley had carded three birdies and three bogeys to be out in level-par 35, when his round effectively took off. With a delightful six iron to two feet, he set up a birdie at the short 10th and proceeded to card an eagle two at the next, holing a nine-iron second shot of 126 yards.

A misjudged wedge cost him a bogey at the 16th and prompted him to head for the practice ground so as to work on lowering the flight of his irons. But he did so in a decidedly good mood, having birdied the long 17th where he reached the green with a three-wood second shot of 265 yards, and carded another one at the 18th, where he played a precise chip and run to four feet.

Montgomerie, three times a runner-up at Wentworth, covered 16 successive holes, from the 16th on Saturday to the 13th yesterday, in 11 under par. Indeed, his overall challenge in this event was transformed on Saturday evening after he had scrambled a bogey at the 15th to be level par and a stroke outside the cut at that stage.

But he finished his second round with birdie, birdie, eagle and went on yesterday to card a 65 which contained seven threes, including an eagle at the 12th. There were six birdies in the round and only one bogey - at the 16th, which he three-putted.

"Things went well today because I was one under after three," he said. "If that happens on this course, I feel I'm away."

This time last year, the Scot shot a final round of 64 to climb into fifth position behind Ian Woosnam. So how did he feel about his prospects of finishing the job today? "When Seve's name is on the board, you know anything can and probably will happen," he replied.

But one strongly suspects the player he was thinking most about over dinner last night, was the South African they call the Big Easy.