McDowell focuses on positives

Volvo MastersThe glass is always half full with Graeme McDowell. Yesterday, having started the second round of the Volvo Masters as the leader, and paired with Paul McGinley in the final match, the 28-year-old from Portrush failed to muster a single birdie.

It's the sort of statistic that would drive most professionals to frustration, yet McDowell sought to find the positives. "I'm right in there," insisted the 28-year-old Northerner. "We have one guy running away with it, but this course will soon catch up with him if he falls asleep even for a second. I didn't shoot myself out of it, and that's all I'm interested in."

McDowell's round of 75 for 143, which left him in a four-way tie for third at the midpoint of the season's finale, was a story of a cold putter.

"In the first round, I converted my birdie chances. Today, I didn't. Simple story. I hit it on the wrong side of the hole a couple of times and, when you have to putt defensively, it is hard to make putts," he said.

In contrast to Thursday, when he had just 22 putts, McDowell ran up 28 yesterday.

His problems weren't just confined to the greens, as he found just seven of 14 fairways. However, the biggest downside of his round was a failure to procure a birdie.

McGinley managed just one, on the sixth, on his way to a 75 that dropped him to 144, two over.

With the wind again swirling through the cork trees that line the fairways of this pristine course, McDowell claimed it was a battle of mind and body from the first tee-shot to the final putt.

"Every hole is just fraught with danger. It takes it out of you mentally and physically. It is just a really, really tough track. It is no surprise to see Justin leading. He's a top-12 finisher in every major championship this year. The guy is a major player and this is a major-type golf course. It is a very demanding golf course and it asks every question of you. I'm pleased that I hung in there."

As far as McDowell is concerned, despite being five shots behind Rose, he is still in contention to win the tournament.

"It is a golf course I know I can get around and I'll be looking for another 68 (like the first round) to get myself back in it. If I can get my iron play back on track, I can make some birdies."

While McDowell sought to remain upbeat, there was no hiding the frustration felt by McGinley who unconditionally blamed his putting for bringing him back into the pack.

"I putted absolutely abysmal," said the Dubliner, who had 29 putts in a round that included just the one birdie and five bogeys. Two of those dropped shots came on the 17th, where he had his second three-putt of the round, and the 18th.

"You are thinking about winning tournaments or contending in tournaments. I've no feel. I'm not connecting with the hole at all, I am way too much into technique, way too conscious of my stroke. The thing I'm struggling with most here is that the greens aren't cut. Experience tells me these greens should be slick and fast, and it is hard to get over that mental hurdle that you have a downhill, crosshill putt and it is not as quick as you expect it to be," said McGinley.

"I'm really disgusted with myself. I am very disappointed, to play reasonably well and to throw shots away. That was a horrible finish. I've brought the pack in. You've got to batten down the hatches around here. And I didn't."

Valderrama details

Second round scores

(Irish in bold, British unless stated, par 71)

138 (-4)

Justin Rose (Eng).70, 68

142 (level)

Padraig Harrington (Ire) 71, 71

143 (+1)

Graeme McDowell (N Ire) 68 75

Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 73 70

Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 73 70

Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 73 70

144 - Paul McGinley (Ire) 69 75, S Dyson (Eng) 74 70, R Jacquelin (Fra) 71 73

145 - C Montgomerie 72 73, N Fasth (Swe) 75 70, P O'Malley (Aus) 70 75, R Sterne (Rsa) 75 70

146 - F Molinari (Ita) 75 71

147 - R Karlsson (Swe) 77 70, P Hanson (Swe) 75 72, B Rumford (Aus) 73 74, Anthony Wall )Eng) 73 74, I Poulter (Eng) 76 71, G Bourdy (Fra) 75 72 L Donald 72 75, B Dredge 75 72.

148 - Y Yang (Kor) 74 74, A Forsyth 75 73, M Brier (Aut) 76 72, A Cejka (Ger) 78 70

149 - A Hansen (Den) 72 77, O Wilson 74 75, S Hansen (Den) 75 74, P Hedblom (Swe) 77 72, S Wakefield 75 74, S Garcia (Spa) 77 72, T Bjorn (Den) 76 73, G F'dez-Castano (Spa) 74 75

150 - RJ Derksen (Ned) 73 77, JM Singh (Ind) 76 74, M Kaymer (Ger) 72 78

151 - R Fisher 71 80, Nick Dougherty 75 76, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 73 78

152 - A Romero (Arg) 76 76, P Edberg (Swe) 79 73

153 - P Casey 80 73, S Webster 79 74

154 - P Archer 76 78, M Foster 76 78, S Khan 75 79, H Stenson (Swe) 76 78

155 - F Andersson Hed (Swe) 81 74, M Ilonen (Fin) 83 72, G Storm 81 74

156 - G Havret (Fra) 83 73

157 - M Warren 82 75

165 - S Lyle 84 81

172 - Ronan Rafferty (N Ire) 83 89

Today's tee-times

7.15: Ronan Rafferty (N Ire)

7.25: S Lyle, M Warren

7.35: G Havret (Fra), F Andersson Hed (Swe)

7.45: G Storm, M Ilonen (Fin)

7.55: S Khan, M Foster

8.05: P Archer, H Stenson (Swe)

8.15: S Webster, P Casey

8.25: A Romero (Arg), P Edberg (Swe)

8.35: R Fisher, T Jaidee (Tha)

8.45: N Dougherty, M Kaymer (Ger)

8.55: RJ Derksen (Ned), J Milkha Singh (Ind)

9.05: A Hansen (Den), G F'dez-Castano (Spa)

9.15: O Wilson, S Wakefield

9.25: S Hansen (Den), T Bjorn (Den)

9.35: P Hedblom (Swe), S Garcia (Spa)

9.45: Y Yang (Kor), A Forsyth

9.55: M Brier (Aut), A Cejka (Ger)

10.05: L Donald, A Wall

10.15: B Rumford (Aus), G Bourdy (Fra)

10.25: B Dredge, P Hanson (Swe)

10.35: I Poulter, R Karlsson (Swe)

10.45: F Molinari (Ita), P O'Malley (Aus)

10.55: C Montgomerie, R Sterne (Rsa)

11.05: N Fasth (Swe), Paul McGinley (Ire)

11.15: R Jacquelin (Fra), S Dyson

11.25: Graeme McDowell (N Ire), J Randhawa (Ind)

11.35: S Kjeldsen (Den), M Angel Jimenez (Spa)

11.45: Padraig Harrington (Ire), J Rose