European Tour/ Scandinavian Masters:The German youngster Martin Kaymer, Sweden's Henrik Nystrom and the Briton Sam Walker held a one-shot lead, on five-under-par 135, at the halfway stage of the Scandinavian Masters yesterday.
David Higgins is best-placed of the four Irishmen in the field, all of whom made the cut. Higgins carded a second successive 69 to leave himself nicely placed in tied-eighth on two-under 138.
Damien McGrane is two shots behind Higgins, tied-18th after two rounds of 70.
Peter Lawrie is a shot further back and also well placed to launch a challenge.
But Gary Murphy, after an excellent 68 on Thursday, slipped down the field, carding five bogeys in a disappointing 75 that left him right on the cut, 143.
Kaymer, starting in early afternoon, had to battle with strong winds that bedevilled the morning starters and bogeyed the short 18th to deny himself the outright lead. A round of two-under 68, though, set the target.
The Düsseldorf player does not want to be referred to as "the new Bernhard Langer" but is poised to follow in the footsteps of the double US Masters champion.
Langer won his first European Tour title, the 1980 Dunlop Masters, when he was 23. Kaymer, 22, has shown similar promise in his rookie year; he led the Wales Open in June after three rounds, only to slump to 14th.
His experience can help him get the job done this weekend, Kaymer told reporters.
"In Wales I played with the local hero Bradley Dredge in the final round and that was a great experience, with all the spectators," he said. "I think you need to get used to that and I have only had that one time, but I am pretty young and I think I can learn."
Kaymer's role model is actually the South African Ernie Els.
"Bernhard is Bernhard and we are two different people. He is my German role model, but in general it is Ernie, he's so relaxed," said Kaymer.
Under the "first in, last out" rule, Kaymer will not play with another local favourite in today's third round; Nystrom is paired with the fourth-placed James Kingston of South Africa (68).
Nystrom and Walker had slightly kinder weather when carding 68 and 70 respectively.
Jean-Baptiste Gonnet of France, who also benefited from calmer afternoon weather, and two Britons, Nick Dougherty and Edward Rush, who battled with the strong morning gusts, are a further stroke back on three under in fifth place.
Tournament promoter Jesper Parnevik, who has won the Scandinavian Masters twice, squeezed in on the three-over cut mark, but the US invitee John Daly missed the weekend by four strokes after rounds of 72 and 75.
