An alarming putting slump saw Padraig Harrington's game switch from Jekyll to Hyde as he went from potential winner last week to a man with a battle to make the Belgacom Open cut today.

Harrington crashed to a threeover-par 74 in the week before the Dunhill Cup, 10 strokes behind the leading trio at Royal Zoute - Swede Robert Karlsson, second last week to Colin Montogomerie; New Zealander Greg Turner, second three weeks ago to Miguel Jimenez; and Van Phillips from England, second to no one yet on tour and never first either. The threesome equalled the course record 64 while Nick Faldo and another Swede, Fredrik Jacobson, finished with 65.

To make it a worrying day for the pair who will team up with Darren Clarke next week at St Andrews, Paul McGinley had a largely forgettable day as his putter also let him down badly. He is eight off the pace after a 72.

While McGinley included three three-putts and ran up 31 strokes on the greens, it was far more of a concern for Harrington as he belied his putting record this year at just the wrong time. On the card went 36 putts. Even the Stacks town man's second pair of eyes, his clubmate Ronan Flood, caddying again yesterday, could not prevent his man running up his greatest quota of putts per round since February.

For a man whose putting statistics are the fourth best in Europe, 36 putts is almost unheard of. That is double the amount he needed on the greens of Perth when finishing third in the Heineken Classic. It is also nearly eight strokes more than Harrington's seasonal putting average. Only once before in nearly two years has he totted up so many, and that was in the high winds of Dubai in the Desert Classic final round last February.

That left Harrington shaking his head because he could not blame anything but himself. "Far, far too many putts," the Dubliner said. "It wasn't the greens or bad luck, more me."

At least Harrington will surely not repeat that feat again this year, especially as last week his change of attitude - to relax more and not be so hard on his bad shots - caused him to challenge Montgomerie for victory in Cologne.

McGinley, who in fact finished higher than his compatriot last Sunday, in sixth place compared to eighth after Harrington dunked into the lake at the last hole in Germany, seems to have a bigger job in hand today. Although he drove well, his normally astute iron-play was sadly awry when complementing three three-putts.

"I drove nicely, missing only two fairways," reported McGinley. "But my iron-play was awful and my putting horrendous."

With Clarke taking a week off in the end because of frustration with his game, Ireland's build-up for St Andrews is hardly impressive. But golf has a way of suddenly switching tack.

Des Smyth looks to have the best chance of surviving to the weekend, and indeed challenging for victory, after carding an accomplished 69 to be five off the pace and leading Irishman. That should ensure his tour card now.

Said Smyth after his trusty broomhandle coaxed in a 25footer for birdie on the last: "I came here to make a cheque. I've earned £53,000 this year. It might be enough but it could be passed. A place at the weekend will make sure I make the card. Without it, I'll be relying on invitations next year."

But like Harrington and McGinley, with the cut threatening to be under-par, there is work to do for the rest of the Irish contingent. Philip Walton looked to have rallied after returning to tour following his withdrawal with a wrist injury last week, when he produced three birdies after the turn. However, he slipped again to post a 73.

And for Raymond Burns there was an admission of loss of confidence at the end of his round; just as he seemed to be ducking under par, three closing bogeys caused him a 73 as well. Faldo's return to the European Tour seems to be going well. At the scene of his 1994 triumph, the last time a Belgian event was played on tour, the six-times major champion proved his penchant for Royal Zoute with eight birdies and a splendid putting display. The key to only 25 putts lay with a new drill where he putts up to a tee-peg in practice instead of the hole.

"We went to the moon the last time I had a first-day 65," said Faldo, who was then immediately brought down to earth when told David Leadbetter had accused him of copying his teaching methods. Faldo, a renowned follower of Ben Hogan's creed, snorted: "What I believe in is something McDonald Smith was teaching in 1912, or whenever it was. The man can't come back from the dead, but would he have accused me of copying him and write nasty articles?"