Perfect weather for The Goose

Golf: Whatever about the vagaries of the Irish weather, four seasons in one day and all that lark, one golfer is in such a zone at present that he could be asked to hit shots into the eye of a storm and make a decent fist of it. "He's on fire, probably the best player in the world at the moment," opined Paul McGinley of US Open champion Retief Goosen, who assumed the midway lead of the Smurfit European Open after yesterday's second round.

On a day that yet again gave us a squally cocktail of wind, rain and intermittent sunshine here, Goosen remained aloof from any of the misfortunes - and there were many - that befell others. In shooting an error-free 66 for nine-under-par 135, the South African took a two-stroke lead over Dutchman Maarten Lafeber, with a resurgent Lee Westwood a shot further back.

How Goosen managed to negotiate a bogey-free route around the course in the wind and the rain was a source of bafflement to some, and simply left others in a state of admiration.

"He's played beautifully on a golf course as tough as this, there's nobody playing better than him," said McGinley, who partnered the two-time major champion and, so, had the dubious pleasure of watching all 135 shots. "Certainly, the way Retief's playing, and with his ball-striking, he's going to be tough to beat."

As Niclas Fasth put it, "it would seem that someone is running away with it."

And yet the calamities that hit some players - three more players retired in mid-round yesterday, while another, Martin Wiegele, was disqualified for slamming his putter into the ground, thus changing its characteristics, but continuing to play with it, bringing the number of non-finishers to 10 - would suggest a touch of caution in nominating a potential winner too soon.

Even so, on-course bookmakers Paddy Power were so impressed with Goosen's ability to be unfazed by the elements that he was installed as 8 to 13 favourite by the time many of the fans who had spent a tiring day trampling over the artificial hillocks had departed for home.

Goosen wasn't alone, it must be said, in conquering the course. Kenneth Ferrie improved his first round score by all of 10 shots, also shooting a second round 66, and Westwood's 69 in the tougher afternoon wind was especially laudable.

And Jose Manuel Lara discovered a way to keep his putter in the bag by holing out with his tee-shot on the second, on his way to a 68. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, his reward for the feat was just a bottle of champagne. If he'd managed the hole-in-one on the 17th, the prize would have been a Renault Cabriolet.

For the Irish, much like the weather, it proved to be a mixed bag. McGinley, who reached the halfway stage in three-under-par 141, led the home challenge, and five others - Peter Lawrie (144), Padraig Harrington (146), Gary Murphy (146), Darren Clarke (148) and John Dwyer (148) - made the cut.

Others, though, were blown away, and none as spectacularly as Graeme McDowell who, needing a birdie on the 18th, went for broke and ended up finding the water three times in running up a 10. On such days are lessons learnt, it would seem.

"The Goose" had no such concerns and, while the aim is to add this €3.3 million tournament on to his win in the US Open at Shinnecock Hills and make it back-to-back successes, he has grander aspirations that entail one day assuming the number one position in the world rankings.

Currently ranked seventh, Goosen admitted, "We all would like to be number one, but you need to play the golf to get there . . . but that's everyone's aim in golf, to see if he can be the best player in the world."

So much of what Goosen does these days would indicate that he is playing the best golf of his career.

Ironically, one of those who would disagree with such an assessment is Goosen.

"I'd probably say I played better golf in 2001 and 2002 (when he topped the European Tour Order of Merit), but, obviously, I am playing well at the moment. If the weather stays like this, I don't think I'll need to go very low at the weekend."

Goosen kick-started his round with a birdie on the 10th, where he hit a wedge approach to 10 feet, and then really fired-up his round with a hat-trick of birdies from the 13th. Turning in 32 strokes, he then chipped to eight feet at the third and finished off his birdie assault on the sixth, where he holed from 12 feet.

Without question, Goosen has already earned the respect of his peers. "That's why he is the US Open champion," remarked Lafeber, his closest pursuer.

"That's why I would love to be in the final group with him, I'd learn a lot from that."

It would seem that the crowds outside the ropes are not the only ones keen to see Goosen up close and personal. His appeal is catching.