Padraig Harrington produced a 65 to move into the top 10 of the field at the Booz Allen Classic in Potomac, but remains eight strokes behind leader Ben Curtis.

Lee Westwood's misery continued as he crashed down near the rear of the field and endured his seventh successive missed cut after double bogeys at the 10th and 14th.

Harrington, fifth at Winged Foot last Sunday after three closing bogeys, battled through mental fatigue to improve to seven under. But it brought him no closer to 2003 Open champion Curtis, who had opened with a dazzling career-best 62.

The Dubliner's only dropped shot was on the short 17th. "I struggled for focus the last three or four holes," said Harrington. "But the longer the tournament goes on the better I'll become."

Westwood, whose nightmare run started in the Masters at Augusta in early April, carded a three-over-par 74 for a four-over aggregate.

The Ryder Cup star is 96th on the US Tour money list and, having failed to earn a place in last week's US Open, has yet to qualify for next month's Open at Hoylake.

On 15 under par the American took a one-stroke halfway lead over Argentina's Jose Coceres, who had earlier posted a second successive 64.

Londoner Brian Davis had back-to-back 70s and on two under looked likely to squeeze into the final two rounds, while Bernhard Langer was alongside Harrington in the clubhouse and Swede Daniel Chopra one better at eight under.

He was in thick rough on the final hole, but conjured up a brilliant recovery to seven feet and sank the putt for a seventh birdie of the day.