Curry bemused to be in lead

GIVEN its reputation as arguably the top parkland course in Europe, Valderrama continues to inflict scorn on some of its greatest admirers. So, on a day when the pack was well and truly shuffled, Paul Curry was as bemused as anyone to find himself atop the creme de la creme at the midway stage of the Volvo

"I've never been in this position before, certainly not in a tournament of this stature" muttered the Englishman, who shot a second round 69 for five under par 137. It left him a stroke clear of Stephen Ames, with just seven players under par, none of them Irish. Still, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke remain very much in the leader's slipstream and, on a course which can jump up and bite at any time, one suspects the really interesting battles have yet to materialise.

Indeed there was considerably diversity among the various protagonists yesterday, despite conditions which were as close to perfection as it is possible to find. A gentle wind provided relief from the sun, yet scores differed - remarkably: Andrew Oldcorn, an Englishman who insists on calling himself a Scot, fired a 66 to catapult up the leaderboard; Colin Montgomerie floundered to a 75 band Seve Ballesteros a 76, while, worse of all, Jarmo Sandelin nosedived down the field with an 83.

At least the Irish quartet avoided such embarrassment. Harrington laboured a little over the closing stretch - "I made some careless errors, he remarked - but still signed his card for a 73, giving him a level par 142. Clarke is also very much in the hunt, just a shot further back after a 71, while Ronan Rafferty's 72 left him on 146.

Paul McGinley, however, has a real fight on his hands to stay in the Order of Merit's top 15 (and, with that distinction, secure a in the US Open next year). The Dubliner had a second round 72, but it wasn't enough to repair the damage of his first round in discretions and he admitted: "I'm in a real battle, I need to win as much money this week as I can."

The bloodhounds have closed in, though, and a number of players have manoeuvred into positions to overtake him in the moneylist.

There is also intrigue in the three way battle for the "rookie of the year" award. Harrington has apparently assumed the initiative and is two shots ahead of Raymond Russell and three ahead of Thomas Bjorn. It would have been more except for two dropped shots in the closing three holes of his round yesterday.

"I just hope I can play better over the weekend," said Harrington, who dropped shots at the 16th, where he missed the green and failed to get up and down, and then, at the 17th, his four iron approach, from 214 yards, rolled back into the lake which guards the green to the showpiece hole.

Harrington had bogeyed the third - "My caddie wanted me to hit a seven iron, I went with a six," he explained - where he overshot the green and then three putted the fourth. His other bogey came at the eighth where his one iron tee shot hit the trees. However, he appeared set to challenge for the lead when securing birdies at the seventh, ninth and 10th, until the closing stretch caught him out.

"I had a few careless holes. It is not easy on this course, though. You have to concentrate all the time and the rough around the greens can do strange things," he said.

Clarke, meanwhile, benefited from a four hour spell on the practice range after his first round and a chat by telephone with his coach Peter Cowen. "I'm still struggling. I knew what is wrong my hand eye co ordination is not 100 per cent, my timing is out. But I'm still in this tournament and, if I can sort things out, I will be there or thereabouts."

There was a good deal more consistency about Clarke's round yesterday, just two birdies and two bogeys. He rattled in a 25 footer for birdie at the fifth and hit a sand wedge to four feet for another at the eighth. His bogeys came at two par threes: the sixth, where he three putted from off the fringe, and the 12th when he missed the green right and had a poor lie.

"I haven't been firing on all cylinders for the first two rounds, yet I'm still in there with a chance. I'm not a million miles away from getting my timing right, so hopefully I can have a good weekend," said Clarke.

He is not the only one chasing a good payday. The incentives are huge - and McGinley, as much as anyone, knows he needs a good round to prevent a poor end to a good season. His plight wasn't helped by the fact that the practice range was closed when he completed his first round on Thursday. "All I could do was some chipping and putting, nothing substantial," be examined.

Everyone is aware that the final two rounds will answer many questions. For Curry, however, his position as midway leader was a little puzzling - even to him - and he said: "I've no secret formula. It's important to keep the ball in play, and I've managed to do that so far, but Valderrama can get you at any time.

You can't relax."

Curry had just one bogey in his round (at the 17th where he put his third shot through the back of the green) but managed birdies at the fourth, eighth and 11th. "I am not used to leading tournaments, so we'll see how I handle the situation," he added.

Nevertheless, he has man managed the course better than anyone, so far. His chief pursuer Ames, however, is just a shot adrift. He commented: "The course is in great condition, but with less than 10 guys under par, even with all the top players in Europe here, it proves how tough it is.