New Zealander Michael Campbell charged into contention for another title yesterday - and then spoke of his admiration for a player trailing seven strokes behind him.
Campbell, four times a winner during the winter and returning this week from a two-month break, fired a seven-birdie 66 at the French Open at Le Golf National near Paris.
But as he posted a halfway total of 136, eight-under-par and just one off the clubhouse lead held by Dane Anders Hansen and Spaniard Fernando Roca, the 31-year-old joined those celebrating the fact that playing partner Seve Ballesteros had survived his first halfway cut of the season.
The Spanish star, adamant that he can still add to his 88 professional victories, had his usual adventures off the tee before finishing the day on one under.
"As a kid I used to pretend I was Seve," said Campbell. "To play with him is a great honour and he is trying his heart out.
"You can see in his eyes that he is still hungry and it must be so frustrating to get on the tee and not know where it's going."
Ballesteros's opening drive, for instance, was hooked almost 100 yards off target, over a lake and onto another fairway. But from there he hit a nine-iron to six feet and sank the birdie putt.
Campbell's goal is to try to be number one this year and a round spoilt only by a closing bogey six was further evidence of his recovery from the depths of despair.
It was at the same venue three years ago that he threw his clubs across his hotel room after missing yet another halfway cut. Having nearly won the 1995 Open at St Andrews, Campbell suffered a serious wrist injury. But he battled on and last November he beat a field containing Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Taiwan.
It gave him such confidence that in the next three months he added the New Zealand Open, Heineken Classic and Australian Masters.
The second round, delayed for 95 minutes by early morning fog, was suspended for the day by lightning just before 6 p.m.
Ireland's Des Smyth, Gary Murphy and Philip Walton were among 62 players still to finish their rounds. Colin Montgomerie was also among those affected. He had just birdied the 11th and 12th to stand four under par, five behind, but admitted he could not believe play continued for as long as he did.
"It was right above us and I thought it was a bit ridiculous that we were still out there," he said after returning to the clubhouse.
Hansen and Roca, both seeking their first tour victories, took over at the top from Alberto Binaghi. While the Italian hit his first shot of the day into water, double-bogeyed and dropped back to four under with a 73, Roca had a 68 and Hansen a 65.
Paul McGinley stands at level par after a two-over-par 74 while Eamon Darcy is unlikely to make the cut after a second successive 76 which leaves him on eigth-over-par 152.
Round of the day, however, came from England's Jonathan Lomas. He birdied five of the last six holes for a 64, one outside the course record and the lowest round of his tour career.
