England’s Mark Roe, uncertain this morning whether he would be able to continue the Lancome Trophy in Paris, instead charged into the second round lead today.
Roe's place in the Stg£900,000 event was in doubt overnight after his left wrist swelled up badly following a wasp sting. But after being given anti-histamines the 38-year-old, winner in 1992, had five more birdies in his first 11 holes and at 10-under par led fellow Englishmen Gary Emerson and Shaun Webster by three.
They took advantage of Retief Goosen's unexpected inability to build on his opening 64, which had been good enough for a two-stroke advantage.
While Goosen, holder of the title as well as the reigning US and Scottish Open champion, slipped back to six under, while Emerson, Roe's playing partner, and former English amateur champion Webster improved to seven under.
Colin Montgomerie, meanwhile, was in severe danger of missing the halfway cut.
The Scot probably needed a 67 after his opening 75 and when he pitched dead at the fifth for his fourth birdie of the day - he resumed on the 10th - he had a real chance of making it.
But Montgomerie failed to birdie the long sixth when his seven-foot putt horseshoed out and on the 153-yard seventh he hooked into water, bogeyed and fell back to level par. The cut was likeliest to fall at level par.
The cut is also likely to leave the Irish contingent in France out in the cold. David Higgins is best placed of the three Irish players, a second round 69 moving him to one over. Des Smyth finished on four over with Gary Murphy a shot further back.