THERE was no luck for Padraig Harrington in the European Grand Prix at Slaley Hall yesterday. All the good fortune was reserved for Colin Montgomerie. The Scot achieved what he had set out to do on Thursday when he shot a second round 68 to lead the field into the weekend with a seven under par total of 137.
The European number one has a one stroke advantage over Barry Lane (68) and defending champion Retief Goosen, who had a second 69.
Harrington, who opened with a 67 to lie second behind Steven Webster, took 74 for 141, with Paul McGinley, David Higgins and Raymond Burns the only other Irishmen among the 76 qualifiers at one over par.
It was at the 452 yard, uphill ninth, the toughest par four on the Northumberland park land course, where Montgomerie profited and Harrington foundered.
Montgomerie pulled his drive into the water hazard running across the fairway, but his ball struck railway sleepers and bounced over into semi rough from where he was able to reach the fringe of the green, and chip and putt for par.
Earlier Harrington, mindful of the dangers on this tee shot, selected his three wood, but pushed it slightly and left himself over 220 yards from the flag. That meant another three wood to hit the green, and he went boldly for the shot, only to cut it a fraction and send his ball into the stream flanking the green.
When he picked out under penalty, and failed to hole after pitching to 12 feet, he had to mark a double bogey six on his card. As it was Harrington's final hole, he was unable to retrieve the situation.
Montgomerie went on to put himself in command and on the verge of a major boost to his morale on the eve of the US Open. "It is the first time I have been in the leading group since Augusta," he said. "I would love to be in the same position at the Congressional Club."
There was only one slip in his impressive performance in the strong wind, and that came at the 13th, where he suffered his first bogey in 52 holes by overclubbing to the green. But he made amends with a fifth birdie from 40 feet at the 16th, and added: "I enjoy being on top with people looking up at me. If other players don't like it, then that is the idea."
Harrington, who managed only one birdie, from 20 feet at the 13th, said: "It was very disappointing to lose those two shots at the very end. I had played solidly until that point."
McGinley had a hard struggle to qualify but eased his burden with successive birdies at the 15th and 16th for a 71 that put him on level par. Burns had to thank a birdie two at the 17th for his survival after a 75 for 145, while Higgins had three birdies in his 72 for the same total.
Three putts on the final green led to Des Smyth's fifth failure in his last six outings, as he slipped to a 77 for 146. But the real damage was done in an outward 40, particularly the three awkward holes before the turn, all of which he bogeyed. He three putted the seventh, blocked his drive and had to chip out from the woods at the eighth, then missed the green at the uphill ninth.
Philip Walton also suffered over this stretch after three birdies in a faultless first 13 holes had repaired the damage inflicted by his opening 75. The Ryder Cup player dropped shots at the seventh and ninth, and his 72 left him two shots outside the cut off mark.
Ronan Rafferty (75) and Christy O'Connor Jnr (73) also departed at three over par, the latter despite an eagle at the fourth and two birdies.
Eamonn Darcy was another to falter badly in the closing stages, after wiping out the millstone of his opening 75 in the first three holes, all of which he birdied. Out in 34 from the 10th, Darcy went to one under with further birdies at the first and fifth, but then squandered six shots to the card in the last five holes. He was back in 40 for a 74 and a five over par total of 149.
