Golf: To hell with equity, which is what golf is supposed to be all about. Yesterday, in the second round of the Deutsche Bank TPC of Europe, the weather gods smiled on some, tormented others and ultimately bestowed the midway lead on one of its own, Alex Cejka, a German, who benefited most from calm early morning conditions before a stiff wind developed over the flat St Leon-Rot course to devour others less fortunate.
And while those with late tee-times could only grin and bare it and privately curse the luck of the draw, two Irishmen - the highest ranked Europeans in the official world rankings - could take solace from early start times after manoeuvring their way into contention in one of the richest tournaments on the European schedule, an event with a €3 million purse to divvy up.
Darren Clarke may be searching for a putting stroke worthy of the rest of his game but, as good players tend to do, he somehow managed to get the ball into the hole, shooting a second round 67 for seven-under-par 137, to lie in tied-fourth just four shots adrift of lone leader Cejka, a player who defied a niggling leg injury to shoot a second round 64 that included two eagles.
Padraig Harrington, the defending champion, rediscovered his putting touch - shooting 68 for 138 - to move stealthily to within touching distance of the leader.
Otherwise, it was a frustrating old day for the Irish contingent. Just over a fortnight after his win in the Italian Open, Graeme McDowell missed his second successive cut - and, with it, the chance to earn exemption into the British Open in Royal Troon via the current Order of Merit which finishes this week - and he was joined on an unwanted free weekend by Peter Lawrie and Damien McGrane.
Gary Murphy, however, showed his character in the worst of the weather by covering his back nine in one-under for a 74, which left him on 145 and a shot inside the cut.
On a day when the arrival of the wind that grew gradually stronger as the day progressed and transformed the course into something of a brute, there were many casualties. Among those to miss the cut were Adam Scott, winner of the Players' Championship in Sawgrass, who floundered to an 80; Nick Faldo, a six-times major winner, and now bespectacled, who failed to claim a single birdie in a round of 77, and seven-times Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie, who has other things on his mind and who couldn't offer the excuse of playing in the worst of the weather for his 78. Each missed the cut that fell on two-over-par quite comfortably.
For Clarke, there were no such problems, despite some putts that, as he put it, "managed to dodge and swerve" their intended destination. "I'm happy with what I'm doing tee-to-green, with how I'm striking it, but I just need to hole a few more putts," insisted Clarke who was so frustrated with his putter after the first round he sought advice from Ryder Cup colleague Thomas Bjorn and Sky TV commentator Ewen Murray while working on the practice putting green.
"They both told me essentially the same thing, but in a different way," explained Clarke, "that I was coming out of my putts, that my head was moving and causing me to come up in a certain way."
Apart from the technical advice, Clarke also changed his putter for yesterday's second round. And, yet, despite hitting 14 of 18 greens in regulation, and taking 28 putts, the longest putt he holed was from 15 feet, a birdie on the 16th (his seventh).
Harrington was much happier with his putting. He took only 25 putts in a round of 68 that featured him chipping in from the edge of the green on the 15th (his sixth) for birdie. "I'm very happy with how my game is going, it is developing and progressing the way I want it to. It's nice to hole some putts too, it is a great feeling," he said.
Mark Roe, famous for his disqualification in the British Open last year at Sandwich over a rules blunder, was disqualified again in Heidelberg yesterday.
Once again it was for signing for a wrong score - but this time there will not be the same sympathy. He took five putts on the short sixth in his first round but a marshal later reported to officials - after Roe had handed in his card - that he thought the ball was still moving on the last of them. If the investigation had taken place before Roe signed his card he would have been penalised two strokes, and his 78 into an 80.
As it was, though, European Tour chief referee John Paramor had to disqualify him.
Cejka, though, is the player in control and he did so despite suffering from a hamstring injury that earlier in the week threatened his participation. .
Yesterday, the highlights of his 64 for 133 - which gave him a three stroke lead over Frenchman Gregory Havret, who gamely battled through the worst of the weather before incurring a triple-bogey seven on the 18th for a 71, and England's David Howell - were two eagles in a back nine (his front, having started on the 10th) of 30.
