Irish drop away as putts refuse to drop

World Cup:Sometimes, you can try too hard; sometimes, you can want things too badly.

Yesterday, on an isle that tourists would equate with a form of paradise on earth, the Irish team of Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley must have wondered what they had done to ire the golfing gods as they suffered hellishly on the slick, grainy greens of Sandy Lane's Country Club course to effectively lose all hope of contending in the World Cup.

After signing for a second-round 73 to finish on 140, nine shots behind midway leaders Argentina, Harrington admitted, "We've done immense harm in terms of trying to win this tournament, without a doubt."

It was a resigned comment from a player only too well aware that, for some reason, but especially because of their failure to convert chances on the greens, they had slipped badly off the pace.

On a day that didn't feature any of the squalls that afflicted the course during Thursday's opening round, with instead a strong but welcome breeze serving to accentuate the challenge for players in the foursomes format, the Argentinian duo of Angel Cabrera and his young assistant Anders Romero contrived to shoot a 67 for 131, 11 under, which left them three strokes clear of their closest pursuers - Scotland, Sweden and Germany - at the midway stage.

With only today's fourballs and tomorrow's foursomes remaining, Ireland have slipped to tied-12th.

"It's disappointing," said McGinley. "We've left ourselves a mountain to climb, a massive mountain. We're going to have to shoot something spectacular to spreadeagle the field and get back into the tournament. Other than that, it is going to be a week among the also-rans. The gap is quite big, nine shots, so we're going to have to do something special to get back into it. But we have one more try (in fourballs)."

It was a bad old day at the office for the Irish, and especially Harrington, who failed to find any comfort on the greens. He couldn't put his finger on any reason, given he usually plays well on grainy greens and these are similar to the ones at Mirasol, where he won the Honda Classic last year.

Of his problems on the greens, he confessed: "I'm struggling desperately. I'm not seeing any lines whatsoever. You know, I'm even struggling to the extent that I can't tell if I'm putting uphill or downhill at times. And, even if I have the right line, I can't give it a run (because of uncertainly on the pace)."

Ireland's problems yesterday started on the short fourth, where McGinley pulled his tee-shot into a greenside bunker. He got a horrendous lie, Harrington having to play the second shot away from the flag to the back of the green. As if to confirm it wouldn't be their day, McGinley's putt, from the collar of the green, hit the flagstick but didn't fall in.

That bogey was followed by further bogeys at the par-five sixth and ninth holes and a lone birdie on the seventh, which brought rare smiles.

But by the time they reached the 18th, where another bogey awaited, it was a finish that simply confirmed their fall to a mid-table position in the 24-team tournament.

Yet, they had only to watch their playing partners, Scotland, who had also started the day on four under, to know it was possible to conquer the course as Marc Warren, who could do no wrong with the putter, and Colin Montgomerie moved through the field, shooting a 67 that left them tied second with Sweden and Germany.

Spain produced the best round of the day, a 66 that moved them up to a share of fifth with South Africa, the highlight of their round being an eagle on the 15th - in a flawless back nine of 31 strokes - when Miguel Angel Jimenez's three-wood approach to four feet was duly converted by Gonzalez Fernandez-Castano.

England, too, showed it was possible to get something back from the course when turning a poor day's work up to the 13th into a decent effort with four successive birdies from the 14th to sign for a 70, for 136, which moved them up to seventh place.

"It was a good finish, and it's got us thinking about winning again," remarked Luke Donald, who partnered David Howell.

Yet, Argentina were the team that again adapted best to the conditions, signing for 67 that left them on 131 and three shots clear of the chasing pack.

In what is a first-time partnership, Cabrera's power has been matched by Romero.

"He will be a great, great player," observed Cabrera of his young team-mate. "We're combining very well, and that's one of the clues as to why we are playing so good."

No-one needed to remind either of them, however, that some heavy hitters were lying in wait for any slip-ups. The pursuit is on. For Ireland, one suspects, it is a forlorn one.