PADRAIG HARRINGTON and David Higgins underlined how bright the future looks for Irish golf in surging, into contention for the BMW Open title in Munich yesterday. Francis Howley gave them superb backing, and although Frenchman Marc Farry slipped into the driving seat at St Eurach by holing a 130 yards wedge shot for an eagle two at the 12th, an intriguing weekend is in prospect as more than a dozen of Europe's best young players jostle for glory in Bernhard Langer's native Bavaria.

The German had a second 69, and battled manfully against his latest attack of the yips, but he starts today's third round six shots behind Farry whose 67 took him to a 12 under par total of 132.

Farry has a one stroke lead over Australian Richard Green, with, Harrington (66), and Higgins (70) sharing third place with England's Russell Claydon. Howley (68) is on the seven under par mark alongside Pierre Fulke of Sweden who clipped a stroke off the course record by returning a 62 that contained ten birdies.

Harrington, winner of the Spanish Open last month, has already made it a memorable first season on the European circuit where he has collected over £150,000. He could move up to second place behind Colin Montgomerie were he to capture the £116,660 top award here, and that is by no means out of the question if he continues to putt with such verve and authority as yesterday.

For 13 holes the 24 year old from Stackstown found the hole as big as bucket and rattled home seven birdie pulls from 12 to 40 feet.

"I stroked the ball really well and they were going in from all over the place," he said. "Although I cannot expect to keep holing them like that, if I play as well from tee to green over the weekend, I have a good chance of another win.

He would have joined Farry who also led at the halfway mark last year, but for an overstrong pitch to the 15th, and three pulls on the final green where he charged a long approach putt some 15 feet beyond the cup. Higgins, who opened with a remarkable 64, reached 12 under when he got out in 33.

But he then fell victim to the ubiquitous portable telephone. One rang adjacent to the 10th tee while he was at the top of his backswing and the 23 year old from Waterville lurched into his tee shot, pulling it into deep rough. He took two shots to get back to the fairway and a double's bogey six resulted.

He had another six at the 16th after another visit to rough, but a putt of fully 50 feet for a birdie two at the 17th, kept alive his chances of following fellow Tour school graduates Harrington and Raymond Russell of Scotland on to the winner's rostrum. Milltown's Howley was also out in 33 and closed on the leaders when he birdied the short 11th. "But he dropped a stroke at the awkward 12th and settled for par on the run in.

Ronan Rafferty, who had an other session on the practice putting green with Belgian Jos Vanstiphout before going out, shot a level par 72 for 141 which was good enough to put him a shot ahead of Darren Clarke and Raymond Burns the only other Irish qualifiers.

Clarke (71) played beautifully from tee to green but was unable to capitalise on his excellent approach work.

"I could not buy a putt," he, exclaimed after making only three birdies. He did get downs from 10 feet at the seventh and 12 feet at the 14th, but three putts at the second and a poor drive at the fourth cost him strokes. His other birdie came at the long first which he played as his 10th hole. Burns (72) hit 16 greens but three putted the sixth and 18th, and missed three chances of birdie twos from around eight feet.

Like Clarke he is on two under par for the third stage. Christy O'Connor Jnr, joined Eamonn Darcy on the sidelines when he damaged his right thumb trying to hit a ball from the roots of a tree at the first hole. The Galway golfer ran up a triple bogey eight there, and though he hit back with three birdies, he reached the turn at four over par, an decided that it was not worth risking further damage.

"I did not want to pull out," insisted O'Connor, because I have been away for six weeks with elbow trouble, and I intend to play right through to the Scandinavian Masters. "But there was, no point in going on and perhaps making matters worse. I want to play in the French Open next week." Eoghan O'Connell's hopes of reprieve from an opening 80 rapidly disappeared and he took 81 for a 17 over par 161.