Reuters - Despite a late slip, Colin Montgomerie continued his march to an eighth European Tour Order of Merit title when the 42 year old Scot took a two shot lead at the halfway stage of the Volvo Masters at Club de Golf Valderrama, Spain.
Montgomerie missed a three foot putt to bogey the last but he is now two shots ahead of Sergio Garcia of Spain and England's Ian Poulter, and eight strokes ahead of his only rival for the 2005 European Number One honour, Michael Campbell of New Zealand.
The Scot shot a second round five under par 66 to move to nine under par 133, equalling the halfway total of Bernhard Langer at Valderrama in 1994 – the year in which Montgomerie also posted his lowest score over the Costa del Sol’s magnificent venue. His 66 represents his second best return in 18 years of competition in the Volvo Masters.
Defending champion Poulter and Garcia, the man he beat in a play-off last year, signed for 68 and 67 respectively to share second place.
Campbell, this time playing much earlier than his first round playing partner Montgomerie, shot a 69 to lie one under going into the weekend..
Despite his last-hole three-putt, Montgomerie was delighted to sit on top on his own, after sharing the first round lead, and to have pulled away from Campbell.
"You come here with all sorts of pressures and anxieties," he said. "To shoot nine under par for two rounds is very, very good. I’m proud of that. This is not easy. It’s a stress and I am just delighted to be in this position at halfway.”
Despite his position, Montgomerie does not believe that his record eighth Order of Merit is in the bag. He said: “Not at all. There are a lot of good, good competitors behind (me) and a lot can happen here. You can lose shots in a hurry and you can gain them in a hurry as well.”
US Open Champion Campbell said: "I've got another two rounds to go. Monty is up there doing his stuff but I can't control what he does. I can just control my own destiny.
"I was little bit rusty after a two week break and it showed when I played with him yesterday. Today I was better focused."
Garcia, edged out by Poulter in last year’s play-off, bogeyed the last for a 67 but felt he could go one better this time, saying: "I haven't done anything extraordinary yet."
Poulter kept his hopes alive of a last-ditch win to keep his record of a victory every year since his first in 2000 by shooting a 68. "I am still perfectly poised," he said.
Darren Clarke, whose wife Heather is suffering from cancer, withdrew from the Volvo Masters after shooting a second round 75, unable to concentrate on his game.
"Valderrama is not the course to be playing when your mind is elsewhere," said Clarke after slipping nine over par for the tournament.
"Volvo are such great sponsors of our Tour that I didn't want to let them down by pulling out before their flagship event started, even though I knew I was going to struggle.
"I have tried over every shot, but unless your mind is totally on what you are doing, the results can be professionally soul-destroying and I have decided I will be better off at home."
The Northern Irishman has twice taken one-month breaks to be with his wife. His next tournament is due to be the Taiheiyo Masters in Japan in two weeks' time.
Volvo event management president Mel Pyatt said: "Obviously it's very sad that Darren can't participate further but we fully understand the situation. We can only hope everything will progress very positively for him and his wife."
Clarke was told by the US PGA Tour on Friday that he will not lose his 2006 US Tour Membership. Because of his wife's condition he had been unable to complete his mandatory 15 events in America.
