Padraig Harrington, who knows all about the pressure of trying to make the Ryder Cup, could be about to experience it again. The 27-year-old Dubliner lies joint second at the halfway stage of the Italian Open in Turin.
While first day leader Mats Lanner crashed from a 62 to a 77 and from three clear to seven behind, Harrington added a 66 to his opening 68.
On the 10-under-par mark of 134 Harrington lies alongside Cambridge's Russell Claydon and two behind his playing partner on the first two days, little-known Spaniard Francisco Cea. If Harrington were to win on Sunday, he could jump from 27th to seventh in the cup standings.
Harrington just lost out to Jose-Maria Olazabal in the battle for the final automatic place in Europe's 1997 side, but at the halfway stage in this year's race he had to be told his position.
"Two years ago I would have known exactly where I was," he said. "Now I have no interest at all. The simple fact is that I know I have to win before I have to think about it.
"You're not going to get the required points by finishing 20th in each event. You have to win first. I haven't looked at the table once.
"Two years ago it was in my face more, but I've been concentrating more on how I'm swinging the club.
"I've always had to work hard at keeping all the different components going. By the end I hope I'll have an improved swing with less moving parts."
Chasing a title worth almost £120,000, Harrington turned in 34 and then had four successive birdies from the 13th.
"I've never had three successive days when I've hit my irons so consistently well (he also shot 66 in the pro-am playing with former Italian Formula One driver Riccardo Patrese), but I was getting frustrated, because for the first 12 holes I couldn't hole a putt. Then it just changed around."
John McHenry was the only other Irishman to make it into the weekend. A level par 72 left him right on the mark of two-under-par. Eamonn Darcy (74), Philip Walton (73) and Paul McGinley (73) all caught an early flight home.
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