Rafferty the standard-bearer as Harrington has an unlucky 13

BERNHARD LANGER applied a formidable competitive mind to horrendous conditions as another continental, Miguel Angel Jimenez, retained the lead at the halfway stage of the £700,000 Benson and Hedges International Open here yesterday. But it was a grim exercise for the Irish. Only Rona Rafferty survived while Padraig Harrington, with an 84, ran up a wretched 13 at one hole.

Through it all, Nick Faldo adopted a paternalistic attitude to the proceedings. While the German was still toiling out on the course, the Englishman suggested "Langer loves this weather. He plays well in these conditions."

Then, as one of Harrington s playing partners, he had some rather terse observations to make about the Irishman's play of the notorious 17th, where he had four balls in the water. "If at first you, don't succeed, play sideways, said the US Masters champion. "Maybe you don't try and try again in golf but he's young and I don't think he has faced holes like that before."

The remarks were intended in a kindly way. Indeed Faldo proffered the information that he had once tangled with bushes at Le Touquet in the French Open to run up a 10. "I had to learn the hard way too," he admitted. So had Greg Norman when he also carded a 13 at a 17th hole at Lindrick in the 1982 Martini International.

Other notables came to grief in France, just as Faldo had done Ian Woosnam with a 16 at La Boulie in 1986 and Brian Barnes with a 15 at Saint-Cloud back in 1968. Harrington didn't have to be told of these instances to know that his disaster was not unique. "All I can say is that I tried with every shot," he said. "And I know it will be all the better for it when I play in the PGA Championship next week."

It was his first missed cut in 10 European Tour events this season and he could see humour in it. "At least I ended the sequence in style," he said with a smile. Then, retaining obvious pride in his ability he added. "It's the first time I've ever missed a cut away from home, either as an amateur or professional." And his total of 159 was some way from being the worst of the tournament Sweden's Per Nyman claimed that distinction on 165.

Given his admitted mental tiredness after a hectic six days starting with his Spanish Open triumph last weekend, Harrington's collapse was entirely understandable. But there was no comparable thread to be found in the poor performances of his compatriots, other than the combination of a forbidding course and testing, miserable weather.

Eamonn Darcy (76) hurried away, convinced he had no chance of making the cut on 149 five over par which he had reached by sinking a 12 foot birdie putt at the eighth, his second last hole. A par at the ninth would have meant survival at four over for David Feherty (73) but he missed the green and failed to get up and down.

As it happened, they had the chance of a reprieve late in the day when the survival of those on 149 depended on whether England's Martin Gates had a bogey at the 18th. A par and they were out. In fact he had a birdie. The other Irish failures were 150 Darren Clarke (74) and Philip Walton (74) 153 - Paul McGinley (77), Des Smyth (76), Christy O'Connor Jnr (77) 157 - Raymond Burns (77) 159 - Harrington (84).

So Rafferty became an unlikely Irish standard bearer, given that he had missed five cuts in his previous 10 tournaments this season and had a best finish of 10th in the Italian Open. Significantly, he dropped only three strokes, one of which was at the 17th where he missed the green in three.

Otherwise, his work was admirably tidy, including two birdies on each nine with putts ranging from three to 30 feet. "It was hard work but l was encouraged by a few really nice, long iron shots," he said. "In view of the conditions, I was surprised that some of the pins were in decidedly difficult places." He wasn't alone in making that observation.

But a good score was possible as Colin Montgomerie proved with a bogey free 68. Indeed, Frenchman Marc Farry matched that score despite a bogey five at the first. But as a grouping, the Scots presented the most impressive challenge with Ross Drumond, Paul Lawrie, Sam Torrance and Andrew Coltart functioning as very capable foot soldiers in support of their general, Monty.

Langer's position is fascinating, if only for the doubt that remains over his ability to sustain a productive putting stroke in the heat of battle. Though his problem is nowhere as severe as that of Tom Watson, there is ample evidence of the American's ability to shoot solid scores over the opening three days of an event, only to come to grief when it really matters.

"I'm not concerned about my putting," said the German in reply to my question. In fact he had 32 putts for his round of 71, including three putts at the 10th where the first one raced eight feet past the target. But he admitted that he missed two five footers which he would have expected to hole in different circumstances.

Either way, the quality of his score reflected the determination of the man, given that the round included a bogey at the long fourth, where he bunkered his drive, followed by a double bogey at the short, 208 yard fifth. That latter effort resulted from indifferent contact with a three iron which saw the ball rise into the wind and end up short of the target, in water.

Jimenez carded five birdies on the way to a 70 and a total of 138. But the Spaniard's performance didn't seem to impress Montgomerie, even though he is two strokes clear at the halfway stage. "I can catch Jimenez again," he said with a grin, referring to the way he overhauled the Spaniard at Dubai earlier this year. "I don't think he'll want to see me in his rear view mirror. Not in Europe. I'm very comfortable playing here."

Confident words. But then he had produced golf to match, notably in the way he finished the outward journey with successive birdies at the long, 498 yard seventh which he reached with a two iron second shot the 390 yard eighth, which he reduced to a drive, nine iron and four foot putt and the difficult ninth, where he holed a 15 foot chip.