PETER LAWRIE is just two shots off the pace set by Spanish tour rookie Pablo Larrazabal and England's David Lynn at the halfway mark in the French Open in Paris.

Larrazabal and Lynn are tied on seven-under-par 135 with Lawrie, who shot a level-par round of 71, tied for third place with three of the European Tour's leading lights, former European number ones Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie, who both shot 68, and last year's US Open winner Angel Cabrera, with a 70.

Lawrie, who opened with a five-under-par 66 found the going a little tougher yesterday as he matched three birdies with three bogeys in halves of 34 and 37.

Overnight leader Larrazabal bogeyed the 16th and 17th but his run of three birdies in four holes from the 10th for a second round one-under 70 enabled him to set the morning target.

Lynn then matched him by chipping in for a closing birdie in a round of 65.

While Lynn has the 2004 Dutch Open title to his name, Larrazabal, ranked 481st in the world, has little experience to call on at the weekend.

The Barcelona 25-year-old, brother of 2002 British Amateur champion Alejandro, can be the first in a family of top golfers to capture a professional title if he can ward off some illustrious names.

"When you see names like Lee's (Westwood) on the leaderboard with you then you know you are playing well," said Larrazabal.

He can transform his career by pocketing the €666,660 first prize, which will also rocket Lynn, who has had to battle against a torn chest muscle and vertigo in recent weeks, into Ryder Cup reckoning.

The 34-year-old Englishman's main goal, though, is to avoid having to go to British Open international final qualifying at Sunningdale, on Monday.

"It would be nice to avoid that and the right result here can," added Lynn.

Westwood, playing for the first time since just missing out on a US Open play-off, was happy with his form and to be playing the National course three weeks before tackling the next major, the British Open at Royal Birkdale. This is a big one to win, I've never won this, but at the same time we're not going to be playing a links course before the (British) Open and this is as close to links as you can get, so it's a good test at this time," he said. "I've not seen rough like this since Carnoustie 1999, it's chest high in places."

Montgomerie, who turned 45 on Monday, birdied the last two holes to get into strong contention for the first time since winning last year's European Open.

Cabrera agreed with Westwood's assessment of the rough as "very severe" when he drove into it on 17 to chalk up the double-bogey that prevented him sharing the lead.

Defending champion Graeme Storm joined Paul Broadhurst, Søren Hansen and Shiv Kapur on four-under-par 136 and within striking distance of the oldest National Open on continental Europe.

Kapur provided another of the day's highlights with his superb eight-under-par 63. Starting the day with a bogey to fall back to five over par and in serious danger of missing the halfway cut, the Indian produced a marvellous performance to pick up 10 shots in 14 holes to give himself a realistic chance of winning the tournament.

Graeme McDowell and Paul McGinley also made the cut. McDowell shot 73 for 142 while McGinley also added a 73 to survive on the cut of 144.

Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen and Thai Chapchai Nirat had holes-in-one, but because Derksen's came at the 175-yard 16th rather than 210-yard second he was the one to win a BMW car. They missed the cut, however.

So did Darren Clarke, by a single shot. His frustration boiled over when he threw a club off the seventh tee.

"First time, I think, I have ever done that in my pro career," he said. "It was just one of those things, but I would berate my son if he did it."

As a result of his early exit, Clarke will be at the 36-hole Open qualifying at Sunningdale on Monday.

Also out go Damien McGrane after a 74 for 146, Rory McIlroy after a 75 for 148 and Gary Murphy who had a disappointing 82 for 154.