Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson lost his grip on the Volvo Masters at Valderrama today - as defending champion Colin Montgomerie lost his cool and risked being fined.
After yesterday's wash-out Jacobson added an adventurous 71 to his opening 64 for a halfway total of 135, nine under par.
The 29-year-old was six clear when he added a birdie on the 11th to a front nine which contained an eagle, three birdies, only two pars and three bogeys, but Spaniard Carlos Rodiles then cut the gap to two with a spectacular finish.
The Malaga golfer, yet to win on the European tour, had five birdies in six holes starting at the 11th and with Jacobson bogeying the short 15th for the second round running and then the 18th it brought the title race alive again.
Montgomerie, however, was 10 adrift after a 74 which saw his temper boil over yet again. After running up a double bogey seven on the long fourth and having bogeys at the sixth and eighth the 40-year-old Scot - joint holder of the title after his play-off with Bernhard Langer was halted by bad light last year - could not hide his frustration when an 18-foot birdie putt lipped out on the ninth.
He tapped in for par, then stormed off the green in a fury, playing partner Thomas Bjorn even giving him a little wave as he went, and threw his ball onto a cart path.
As it rebounded off the concrete it could easily have hit a window of a nearby apartment building, but Montgomerie did not break stride and was already close to the 10th tee nearly 100 yards away when Bjorn and Brian Davis, the other member of the group, holed out.
And this in the week when the new Rules of Golf placed a greater emphasis on etiquette. "The overriding principle," it states in the very first paragraph of the rules, "is that consideration should be shown to others on the course at all times.
After his round Montgomerie was asked about letting off steam in such a way. He was in a rush to have lunch before teeing off in the third round 30 minutes later, but commented: "I'd just had my fourth lip-out in a row and I am competitive. If I don't have steam I would not be competitive and would not be as successful as I have been. "So I'm glad I have it."
Montgomerie, responsible for filling in the scorecard of either Bjorn or Davis, had to be told what they scored on the ninth because he was out of sight at the time.
Dane Anders Hansen's 73 meant he slipped to third, four behind Jacobson, but Mansfield's Greg Owen charged into fourth place with a superb 67 in the blustery conditions.
Darren Clarke is currently best placed of the Irish after picking up an early eagle in his third round. The Dungannon man eagled the par five 11th to get to get back to three over.
Ryder Cup duo Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington were a shot further back on four over after five and two holes respectively.
Peter Lawrie was on six over after one hole while Gary Murphy was level after six holes but still eight over for the toutnament.