Rose battles to lead second round

ON the day when he might, just might, achieve his Ryder Cup dream Justin Rose was battling for the lead in the second round of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

And Colin Montgomerie was bursting through the field as well in a last-ditch attempt to earn a ninth cup cap through a wild card from captain Nick Faldo.

If three of the five players chasing him miss the halfway cut Rose will be on Faldo's side no matter what he does.

But a first win of the year is the way the 28-year-old really wants to clinch his first appearance against the Americans and four birdies in his first eight holes left him only one behind overnight pacesetter Gregory Havret.

Rose did then run up a bogey six on the long 18th, his ninth, after he could move his ball only a few feet in the thick rough, but another birdie two holes later took him back to four under par.

By that point late starter Havret had been caught first by England's Robert Rock and then by Welshman Bradley Dredge.

Montgomerie, meanwhile, resumed in a tie for 37th place, but with six holes of his day's work to go he was up into a tie for fifth on three under.

After a birdie on the 13th he pitched to three feet for another at the par five 16th and then chipped to six feet for a third two holes later.
Then he had to wait only until the 399-yard third to make further progress up the leaderboard.

Dane Soren Hansen, one spot below Rose at ninth on the points table, grimaced and felt his right shoulder on hitting out of the rough at the 12th.

But it did not seem to be a concern as he remained two under for the tournament after 12.

Hansen did bogey the 17th and first, but each time hit straight back with a birdie.

Ross Fisher, who lies 13th and needs a top three finish on Sunday to have a chance of qualifying for next month's match, was on the same mark.

For that, though, he had a huge stroke of luck at the 16th. Going for the green in two he struck the ball so poorly that it came up short of the water.

Another on two under par was Darren Clarke, who in the week after he won in Holland was becoming an even stronger favourite for one of Faldo's two wild cards.