Impressive finish puts Cañizares in driving seat

GOLF FRENCH OPEN:ALEJANDRO Cañizares moved into a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Alstom Open de France with a second successive 66.

Defending champion Martin Kaymer is the nearest challenger on nine under par after the 25-year-old German added a 67 to his opening 66 at Le Golf National near Paris.

Last year Kaymer beat Lee Westwood in a play-off on the course, then went to the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond and won there as well. But just weeks later he broke three toes in a a go-kart crash which put him out of the game for two months.

Currently sixth in the race for places in Colin Montgomerie’s Ryder Cup side for The Celtic Manor Resort in October, Kaymer said: “I went go-karting again earlier this year, but there will definitely be no more before the Ryder Cup.”

Both he and Cañizares, son of 1989 Ryder Cup hero José Maria, had their rounds interrupted for nearly two and a half hours by a thunderstorm. At that stage they were two behind Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen, but Cañizares then had four birdies in his last five holes for a second 66 in a row and Kaymer birdied the tenth, 14th and 17th.

Cañizares, whose one previous victory came in Russia four years ago, had to return to the Qualifying School last November, but fellow graduates Simon Khan and Fredrik Andersson Hed have already lifted trophies and the 27 -year-old from Madrid hopes to do the same on Sunday.

“I was a little negative in my play last year, I wasn’t into it very much and had a couple of problems, personal problems,” said Cañizares.

“But this year, I came out, I got my card again, so it was like a new start and I knew what I lost and I learned to appreciate it a little more, this game, and try to have fun and try and enjoy it.

“I played with him the first three days I think, and he played great at Q-School and I thought he was going to be great this year.

“He started a little slow but you never know in this game, and he won the biggest tournament of the year and I’m very happy for him.”

There was double Dutch delight for Derksen as he maintained his bid for a first European Tour title in over five years. He added a level par 71 to his dazzling opening 63 to reach halfway at eight under par.

Then he sat down to watch Holland beat Brazil 2-1 in the World Cup quarter-finals – as he had predicted beforehand.

Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, both doubtful before the start with leg problems, kept themselves in the hunt at three under by returning second rounds of 69 and 67 – but with less than two weeks to go to the start of the British Open, Westwood was limping badly over the closing stretch.

The world number three revealed he has been battling with a sore Achilles tendon for seven months.

Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald, the other world top 10 players in the field, both finished on three under – McIlroy got it to five under only to bogey the 15th and 16th – while Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie was just inside the cut line at one over after bogeying the short 11th.

McIlroy was joined on three under by two other Irishmen – Damien McGrane, who shot a level par 71 and Peter Lawrie who had a fine 68. Gareth Maybin and Michael Hoey shot 69 and 74 respectively to make the cut that fell on one over. But Shane Lowry and Darren Clarke missed the cut by a shot after recording 71 and 69 respectively. Paul McGinley (70) finished three over while Simon Thornton also faced an early exit after shooting a 76 for five over.