Reuters - England's Justin Rose took control of the Volvo Masters – and in consequence The European Tour Order of Merit - as he shot the best round of the day by two strokes at windswept Valderrama.
The 27 year old Englishman's three-under 68 second round on another blustery day on Spain’s Costa del Sol carried him to a halfway total of 138, four under par, and a commanding four stroke ahead of his principal rival in the contest for the Harry Vardon Trophy, Padraig Harrington of Ireland.
Open Champion Harrington, who holds a narrow financial advantage over Rose in his bid to retain the Order of Merit crown, shot his second successive 71 to move to second place, a stroke ahead of four players tied for third place, Miguel Angel Jiménez of Spain (70), Søren Kjeldsen of Denmark (70), first round leader Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland (75) and India’s Jyoti Randhawa ( 70).
The leading pair are battling for the honour in the absence of current Order of Merit leader Ernie Els. While Harrington admitted that four strokes was a substantial advantage, Europe's reigning European Number One is determined to hang on to the crown he fought so vigorously to capture 12 months ago.
Rose, €667 behind the Irish Ryder Cup player on the money-list, shrugged off the last vestiges of a severe stomach upset the day before to gain a firm grip on both titles with an exhilarating back nine.
After a sluggish start - with the exception of a 12 inch birdie putt on the short third where he had holed in one the previous day - Rose came alight in dynamic fashion.
Having reached the turn in one over par for the round, he emulated Harrington the day before, turning his day around by picking up three birdies in four holes from the tenth and knocking in a curling 25-footer for another on the long 17th to extend his lead.
"My short game was a little sharper today," Rose said. "Any time you have the lowest of the day it's an achievement, so it's very pleasing. But we are nowhere near the finishing line and tomorrow it will be the same old boring stuff - one shot at a time. This course lends itself to boring play, playing percentages."
Even so, Rose admitted he relished going head-to-head with Harrington again in Saturday's third round. "It's going to be exciting for everyone involved," the leader added. "As professionals, part of the job is putting on a show."
Harrington has by no means given up the Order of Merit race over a course where anyone can spill shots and danger lurks around every turn, and insisted it was still ‘game on’. He said: "It's not a huge difference. With 36 holes to go I've got to manage my own golf for the next two days and move forward."
However, the Irishman added: "If he shoots another four under for the next two days, I think he will be the Volvo Masters champion."
Niclas Fasth can still have a say in the outcome of the Order of Merit. Although he is well behind both the top men on the money list, Fasth can still win the title if he wins the Volvo
Masters and Harrington and Rose fill positions lower than runner-up.
The Swede holed a 60ft eagle putt on the 17th for a 70 to lie three over par – seven behind Rose - in the chasing pack.
"I'm too far back for my liking but it could work out, who knows," Fasth observed. "It could be a dramatic end."
Tournament officials agreed to cut the rough inside spectator ropes slightly to "compensate for prevalent strong winds" expected over the weekend.
