Jacobson battles for card

Fredrik Jacobson used an early five-birdie run to leap to the top of the Belgacom Open leaderboard as he made a concerted effort to keep his European Tour playing rights for next season.

The Swede ran up five successive birdies from the second on his way to a four-under-par 67 to take an early two-shot secondround lead on 10-under-par 132 over New Zealand's Greg Turner, who posted a 70.

Round of the morning, though, belonged to young Englishman Greg Owen, who comes from the same management stable as Order of Merit title-chaser Lee Westwood.

Owen broke the course record by two shots with a 62 after birdies at seven of the last nine holes. That took him up to a share of third place on 136 with fellowEnglishman Van Phillips and Sweden's Per-Ulrik Johansson.

Although well off the pace Padraig Harrington clawed his way back to make the cut and earn himself much-needed matchpractice before appearing for Ireland in the Dunhill Cup.

But Paul McGinley admitted he had "putted like a dog" as he flew home from Belgium, not exactly with his tail between his legs, but humbled by another infinitely forgettable display on the greens of Royal Zoute.

Harrington is not worried too much by being 10 strokes off the lead.

The reason for Harrington's carefree abandon lay with his significantly reduced return on the greens, taking only 25 putts on them yesterday when shooting an exhilarating 68 for level-par and right on the button for the cut.

His bettered rate, too, came despite missing a two-footer to bogey the first which put him fourover-par and only a distant chance of beating the axe for the weekend.

Four birdies came at regular intervals after the opening blemish as Harrington at last found his touch.

His most important one came on the long 17th. Here a 10-footer went to ground for his final birdie and that was the one which secured his place in the weekend. He knew just why that one went in dead-weight, too.

Said the Stackstown man: "I spent three hours practising the night before, fiddling around with the usual things. Like changing ball position. But I knew all along it was more to do with the way I was handling these much slower greens and my touch."

While Harrington was already mulling over his prospects when teaming up with Clarke and McGinley next week, the latter left rather a worried man after failing to clinch the vital birdie he needed coming home to get his four days' match practice.

McGinley was not short on battling qualities nor on accuracy from the tee but 31 putts again told its own story as he just could not get anything more out of the course after birdieing the 10th to edge within a stroke of safety.

Said the Dubliner after falling a stroke short with a 71 for oneover: "I played well enough from the tee and the ironplay improved but I was beaten on the greens, especially coming down the stretch when I knew exactly what was needed. Put simply, I putted like a dog.

"After putting so well last week it was unfathomable and I have to do something about it before St Andrews. So I'm going home to Sunningdale to put in a few hours of practice on the greens."

Two stunning 20-footers, though, then a pitch to just inches secured Philip Walton's passage into the weekend and also opened up the path to Jerez at the end of the month and the big-money Volvo Masters.

The Malahide man's three birdies in the last four holes earned him a 69 for level-par and he said: "I'm aiming for a Volvo Masters place now. It's a bit of a long shot because I'm in 64th on the rankings and I need to move up two places. That means I need a top-10 here. It's not beyond me but I'll have to work."

Des Smyth will have to worry this weekend. He could still be passed for 116th qualifying place for next year's card after shooting a 74 to also miss the cut by a stroke on one-over. However, Smyth is all but home and dry with £53,000 banked and will have to be desperately unlucky to be passed.

Raymond Burns, however, will have to try again for his card at tour school, having missed out by two strokes with a 72.