Darcy still at top table in critical card playing game

Lee Westwood last night insisted a record seventh European Tour win this season was not out of the question despite his continuing putting woes in Sardinia.

Westwood could only manage a second-round 70 in the Italian Open at Is Molas to finish sevenunder at halfway, five shots off the lead held by New Zealand's Elliot Boult and Australian Richard Green.

Seven players were tied for second a shot behind Boult and Green including Eamonn Darcy and English trio Ian Poulter, Van Phillips and Peter Baker.

Darcy needs to finish in the top three to retain his Tour card for next season and was going the right way about it, helped by the same new ball being used by Sam Torrance which has given the veteran pair an extra 30 yards off the tee.

The pair were joint leaders overnight after opening 65s and while Torrance had a rollercoaster 70 that included holing a six-iron from 162 yards for an eagle, 48-year-old Darcy had five birdies and one bogey in his 68.

"It could have been a lot better,

but I was confident coming in here this week and I still am," Darcy said. "I just need to hole a few putts."

Poulter is enjoying a dream debut season and could take the lead in the race to be crowned Rookie of the Year this week after adding a 67 to Thursday's 66.

Westwood believes he still has a chance of of reeling in the leaders if he can find a remedy for his ills on the greens over the weekend.

"It was the same story as Thursday," the 27-year-old Order of Merit leader said yesterday. "I holed nothing and it got very frustrating.

"I played prettily scrappily round the front nine - crap to be fair. It was very very average until the 15th when I made three birdies in a row, but even then I hit some pretty poor shots in, just holed three putts from 10, six and 40 feet.

"The one I holed for par on the last was also a big one to stay just five back. I'm not out of it but I'll have to find a remedy for my putting.

"This course does not reward good tee to green play which I prefer, you're not punished for missing fairways and it turns into a bit of a putting tournament.

"It's a bit disappointing, but I'm still a bit rusty after two weeks off and I'd rather it happened this week than next."

Next week is the highly lucrative Volvo Masters in Spain followed by the equally-rewarding American Express Championship at Valderrama.

The two events will decide if Westwood deposes Colin Montgomerie as European number one for the first time in eight years.