Farry fails doping test

GOLF/Nordic Open and news: Yesterday was a bad day for Marc Farry as he not alone missed the cut at the Nordic Open in Copenhagen but, according to the European Tour, had tested positive for a banned substance after the French Open in June.

But the 44-year-old Parisian expects to be fully exonerated by the French Golf Federation as the traces of Prednisolone found in his test were the result of an anti-inflammatory drug he took to clear up an injury.

"I had received a cortisone injection and took some anti-inflammatory pills about three weeks before the Open de France and informed the doctor in attendance of this fact when we went into the room for the test and he said it would not present a problem," said Farry.

"He should have mentioned that I told him I had the injection and because he didn't all this has happened."

The French federation, on orders from the country's sports ministry, conducted the European Tour's first doping tests after the final round of the French Open outside Paris.

French Open winner Philip Golding, runner-up David Howell and third-placed Peter O'Malley, along with Francois Delamontagne and Ireland's Graeme McDowell were also tested but their samples all proved negative.

The French Federation will make a report in due course but the European Tour, which in any case has no policy in place to deal with players who test positive, will take no further action.

Aside from the good news of his negative doping test, McDowell also holed in one for the second time this season to walk away with a €80,000 Audi car after the second round of the Nordic Open.

McDowell hit an albatross at the French Open in June and the 2002 Scandinavian Masters champion was again on target yesterday. Using a three iron, McDowell claimed his ace on the 231-yard par-three 14th at The Simon's club. It was the 14th hole-in-one this year on the Tour.

McDowell's ace helped him to a four-under-par 68 and got him into the weekend right on the cut mark of 141.

One Frenchman with reason to smile yesterday was Gregory Havret, who replaced compatriot Raphael Jacquelin at the top of the leaderboard

However, tournament favourites Thomas Bjorn and Colin Montgomerie moved into contention, with Montgomerie shooting an eight-birdie 65 to move to within four strokes of Havret, while Bjorn's 69 took him five behind the leader.

Havret, who has not won the Tour since claiming his first win at the 2001 Italian Open, is two strokes ahead of Sweden's Patrik Sjoland and Britons David Gilford and David Lynn on 11-under.

But since winning in Sardinia two years ago, Havret's fortunes have plummeted and this year he lies only 135th on the European money-list and in danger of losing his card.

However, since switching from his original coach, Anne le Conniat, to former French tour player Fabrice Tarnaud, the 26-year-old Havret said he has turned his game around.

"I wanted a more consistent game even after winning in Sardinia but I think I did the wrong things, not psychologically but technically," said the former triple French amateur champion.

"I started working with Fabrice for this year and we started new work and things are improving now. I want to rediscover the game I used to play in 2001."

Jacquelin was 10 strokes worse than his opening 62 to drop three shots off the lead.