British Masters: A two-shot penalty cost Eduardo Romero the halfway lead in the British Masters at the Forest of Arden yesterday - and damaged his hopes of becoming the European tour's oldest winner.
The 49-year-old from Argentina went from one ahead of Swede Patrik Sjoland to one behind when chief referee John Paramor ruled against him after an incident on the 14th green.
Romero just missed a birdie putt from around 15 feet, but as he went to tap in, the ball clearly moved. Thinking he had not grounded his putter, the South American stepped away and thought he was okay to hole out once the ball was at rest, even when playing partner Barry Lane asked him about it on the spot.
But because it was caught on television there was a shock in store for Romero.
At the end of the round and before he signed his scorecard he was shown the video. He had to agree he had made a mistake, and for not replacing the ball in its original position a second penalty stroke was added to his 66.
"It was my fault," said Romero. "I thought 100 per cent I didn't touch the grass, but I did. I'm a little sad because I played really good, but that's life. There are two more rounds to go."
If it had come to light only after he had signed the card, of course, he would have been disqualified.
Paramor praised the player. "He was a perfect gentleman and considering he was leading the tournament and that was suddenly taken away from him it was a fantastic reaction," he said.
So instead it is former Irish Open champion Sjoland, 114th on this season's Order of Merit, on 10 under par who heads the field going into the third round of the 2,370,800 tournament.
The 32-year-old had seven birdies in a 65, a score equalled by Lee Westwood as he chases a third win in nine months - and that after slumping outside the world's top 250.
Westwood's closing three-putt bogey, however, dropped him to fourth place, one behind not only Romero, but also Londoner Brian Davis.
Davis tangled with the rough all the way down the sixth - his 15th - and double-bogeyed it. But he then hit a three-wood to 10 feet for an eagle on the next and for the second day running birdied the demanding 476-yard ninth.
"I've probably picked up about four shots on the field there," he stated.
Westwood reached as high as fourth in the world three years ago, then went through two and a half years of misery.
"It makes you appreciate the good times a lot more when you have had a slump," he said. "Now I go on the range again, see the improvement and look forward to playing.
"It's a lot easier to enjoy it when you are playing well."
Graeme McDowell, winner of last week's Italian open in Milan, carded a fine 68 to move well into contention and lead the Irish challenge, seven shots off the lead.
Pre-tournament favourite Darren Clarke, twice a winner on the course, managed only a 73 and is now nine shots off the pace, but at least he is still in the event.
Paul McGinley and Damien McGrane are also still in the hunt, both a shot behind McDowell on 142.
But Gary Murphy and Peter Lawrie again shot disappointing rounds in the mid-70s and will play no further part.
Other notables to miss the cut were France's Gregory Havret, third last week in Italy, and Spains Jose Maria Olazabal.
Forest of Arden: Second round scores
Irish in bold, British unless stated, par 72
(x) denotes amateurs
134 - P Sjoland (Swe) 69 65
135 - B Davis 68 67, E Romero (Arg) 67 68
136 - L Westwood 71 65
137 - S Gallacher 69 68, N O'Hern (Aus) 69 68
138 - M Campbell (Nzl) 67 71, A Cabrera (Arg) 70 68, S Luna (Spa) 70 68, J-F Lucquin (Fra) 70 68
139 - T Immelman (Rsa) 67 72, A Wall 70 69, P Broadhurst 69 70, B Lane 70 69, D Howell 66 73
140 - R-J Derksen (Ned) 69 71, A Forsyth 70 70, T Levet (Fra) 70 70, J Moseley (Aus) 68 72, A Hansen (Den) 69 71, I Woosnam 70 70, K Ferrie 67 73, M Lafeber (Ned) 68 72
141 - K Eriksson (Swe) 71 70, C Montgomerie 72 69, G McDowell 73 68, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 69 72, M Maritz (Rsa) 69 72, S Lyle 70 71, G Evans 73 68
142 - S Struver (Ger) 72 70, P McGinley 70 72, P Casey 72 70, S Wakefield 70 72, H Stenson (Swe) 75 67, E Canonica (Ita) 75 67, J Lomas 70 72, H Bjornstad (Nor) 76 66, C Monasterio (Arg) 69 73, R Green (Aus) 72 70, M Roe 71 71, M A Martin (Spa) 69 73, I Giner (Spa) 71 71, D McGrane 71 71, T Price (Aus) 70 72
143 - D Carter 71 72, R Jacquelin (Fra) 68 75, D Gaunt (Aus) 72 71, R Rashell (USA) 72 71, M Erlandsson (Swe) 71 72, B Dredge 73 70, G Orr 71 72, David Lynn 72 71, D Clarke 70 73, R Goosen (Rsa) 72 71, M A Jimenez (Spa) 72 71, J-F Remesy (Fra) 70 73, S Dodd 71 72, C Hanell (Swe) 71 72, D Gilford 72 71
144 - S O'Hara 73 71, S Hansen (Den) 69 75, I Poulter 73 71, T Jaidee (Thai) 73 71, S Kjeldsen (Den) 73 71, (x) G Wolstenholme 72 72, P Baker 72 72, M Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 74 70, P Golding 73 71, R Russell 71 73, G Owen 72 72, M Nilsson (Swe) 72 72, P Marantz (Aus) 69 75, A Coltart 67 77, L Oosthuizen (Rsa) 72 72
Missed the cut
145 - S Webster 74 71, J M Lara (Spa) 74 71, G Havret (Fra) 74 71, B Kennedy (Aus) 73 72, D Fichardt (Rsa) 70 75, G Paddison (Nzl) 72 73, A Marshall 73 72, D Borrego (Spa) 72 73, F Delamontagne (Fra) 72 73, R Chapman 72 73, J Bickerton 72 73, R Karlsson (Swe) 74 71, S Khan 72 73, M Cort 74 71
146 - J Clement (Swi) 75 71, B Rumford (Aus) 74 72, P Hedblom (Swe) 70 76, J Maria Olazabal (Spa) 72 74, P Hanson (Swe) 75 71, I Garrido (Spa) 73 73, R Rock 72 74, I Pyman 75 71
147 - M Fraser (Aus) 75 72, S Little 68 79, P O'Malley (Aus) 74 73, S Scahill (Nzl) 73 74, M Foster 73 74, C Schwartzel (Rsa) 70 77, N Sato (Spa) 75 72
148 - A Oldcorn 76 72, J Hepworth 74 74, M Blackey 76 72, M Brier (Aut) 73 75, J Manuel Carriles (Spa) 75 73, M Wiegele (Aut) 75 73, N Dougherty 72 76, J Kingston (Rsa) 75 73, P Fowler (Aus) 74 74, P Lawrie 74 74, G Brand Jnr 71 77, M Mackenzie 74 74
149 - M Olander (Swe) 74 75, G Murphy 73 76, A McLean 73 76, J Healey 76 73, C Gane 74 75, R Muntz (Ned) 72 77, D Park 72 77, B Mason 76 73, S Drummond 72 77
150 - F Andersson (Swe) 73 77, N Faldo 75 75, R Sterne (Rsa) 72 78, J Sandelin (Swe) 75 75, M Lemesurier 78 72, J Elson 76 74, P Lawrie 75 75, T Whitehouse 75 75, J M Arruti (Spa) 76 74
151 - D Botes (Rsa) 75 76, R Coles 75 76, S Dyson 77 74, N Colsaerts (Bel) 74 77, D Dixon 73 78, M Ilonen (Fin) 77 74, S Jeppesen (Swe) 77 74.
152 - J Huldahl (Den) 78 74, (x) A Haig (Rsa) 77 75, W Ormsby (Aus) 73 79, P Nyman (Swe) 77 75, T Dier (Ger) 75 77, J Edfors (Swe) 73 79
153 - Michael J (Swe) 73 80, J Morgan 79 74, R McEvoy 74 79, M Siem (Ger) 72 81, S Fernandez (Arg) 74 79, P Eales 79 74 154 - J Haeggman (Swe) 76 78, C Cevaer (Fra) 76 78 157 - B Banks 80 77
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)