Padraig Harrington kept alive his hopes of a €1 million bonus at Wentworth, after finishing two strokes behind leaders Justin Rose and Angel Cabrera.

The chances of that massive amount being handed to the Dubliner are very much alive after a second successive 69 left him in contention at the halfway stage of the BMW PGA Championship today.

By winning the Irish Open last Sunday - itself worth nearly £285,000 - Harrington made himself the only contender for a £680,000 bonus if he also captures the £495,848 first prize at the European Tour's flagship event.

Thanks to a stunning eagle on the 610-yard 17th, where he hit his second shot to six feet and expected more applause than he received, last season's Order of Merit winner is six under par with two rounds to go.

"I struggled at the very start today (his second shot actually finished on a spectator's backpack), then stalled in the middle of the round. My three-putt on 12 (for a par five) was just pure lack of concentration," said Harrington.

He then bogeyed the 14th, but at the 610-yard 17th hit a magnificent second shot to six feet for an eagle he described as "a nice tonic".

Harrington is one of three Irish players to survive the cut, alongside Paul McGinley, on 143, and Peter Lawrie, on 145.

His fellow Irishmen had something of a miserable day however with Damien McGrane, Darren Clarke, Gary Murphy, Graeme McDowell and Simon Thornton all failing to make it through.

Argentina's big-hitting Angel Cabrera, winner two years ago and twice second, had a best-of-the-day 66 to join Rose, who even with a three-birdie finish was able to add only a 70 to his opening 66.

Paul Broadhurst, joint overnight leader with Rose, could do no better than 72 and into third place, one behind Rose and Cabrera, came Wentworth's own Ross Fisher after a stunning birdie-eagle-birdie finish for 67 and Australian Marcus Fraser.

Els had been only two behind after his first day 68, but a 76 matched his worst-ever score in the event.

The same applied to Colin Montgomerie, but while Els was still safely inside the halfway cut at level par Montgomerie had to wait until late in the evening to learn his fate.

Other big names knew they were out straightaway. Retief Goosen exited on six over, Ian Poulter on four over, 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie on five over and 2005 US Open champion Michael Campbell on nine over.