Ross Fisher stays a shot ahead
of European Open field


FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
England’s Ross Fisher holds a one-stroke lead in The European Open with a world-class chasing pack gathered and ready to strike over the weekend at The London Golf Club.
Fisher added a four under par 68 to his opening course record 63 to lie on 13 under par 131, one clear of Northern Ireland’s Graham McDowell, who shot a 67 while Sergio Garcia surged through the field with a best of the day 64.
“After a 63, you just want to go out there and obviously you want to repeat it,” said Fisher. “You kind of want to show people that it wasn't a fluke and that you're playing nicely so just try to go out there and do the same things as I did yesterday, which I felt like I did pretty well.”
McDowell, two behind overnight, moved ahead with a morning 67, then Fisher, having played the Kent lay-out "blind" on Thursday, had four more birdies in his first 10 holes, bogeyed the 14th and 16th, but then closed with another birdie.
Garcia, who paired with McDowell had a better-ball 60, finished eagle-birdie to move into the frame. The Spaniard loves his golf, but he loves his tennis too and it was a great day for him on both fronts.
First he burst into contention with his eight under par 64, his lowest round of the year. Then it was off to Wimbledon - for the third time this week - to see compatriot Rafael Nadal power his way to another final showdown with Roger Federer.
This could be some summer for Spanish sports fans, of course.
Thanks to Fernando Torres the Euro 2008 soccer title is already in the bag, Nadal has already won another French Open, Pablo Larrazabal won last week’s Open de France and in two weeks' time Garcia hopes to make up for the huge disappointment of last July by capturing The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, and he has as good a chance as anyone.
First, though, the 28 year old wants another title to his name as he goes into the weekend in third place four behind Fisher and after his round spoke about his growing friendship with Nadal. "When you see a friend of yours doing well it makes you happy and you want to do well too," said the World Number Eight."It's always nice to talk to a friend and ask him how things went. It's been fun - we've been sending messages to each other and congratulating each other.
"I hit with him last year in Mallorca. It was awesome, great. Actually he was quite impressed with my tennis - he thought I was going to be a little bit worse - and I was very impressed with his golf when he played the pro-am."
This is Garcia's last outing before The Open. He opted for The European Open because there is a links feel to the course.
"I'm trying to make sure that I get myself comfortable and some of the shots I've been hitting this week I'm going to be using at The Open," he stated.
"You don't want to find your swing going into a Major. I'll just get some good practice at home and just try to get myself as ready as possible."
Dane Soren Hansen made steady progress with a five under par 67 to move to eight under par while Colin Montgomerie and Ian Poulter, having matched each other with opening 70s, both improved three shots on that to be seven under, the same as Paul McGinley, for whom a top five finish on Sunday could secure him an Open spot. David Frost and Michael Jonzon also finished on seven under par at the halfway stage.
Open Champion Padraig Harrington had a 70, and at two under like Justin Rose have to shoot exceptionally low over the weekend.

BACK INJURY BLOW TO OLIVER WILSON
England's Oliver Wilson has suffered a blow to his Ryder Cup hopes, pulling out of the European Open because of back trouble.
Wilson lies eighth on the points table and looked set to move closer to securing a debut when he played the first nine holes of the French Open last week in four under but it appeared there was something wrong when he struggled to complete the round in a five-over 76, then added a second day 81 to be joint 145th of the 156 players.
He had been runner-up three times this season, including the BMW PGA championship at Wentworth.

ROCCO MEDIATE TO PLAY IN SCOTTISH OPEN
Rocco Mediate, the American who took Tiger Woods to a play-off in the US Open two weeks ago, is to play in next week's Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.
The 45-year-old has not yet qualified for the following week's Open at Royal Birkdale, but is on course to do so from a mini-money list on the US Tour which ends this Sunday.
Mediate would have beaten Woods if he had birdied the 18th hole at Torrey Pines both in the final round and then in the play-off, but managed only a par each time.
World No 2 Phil Mickelson heads next week's field, which also includes Ernie Els, Adam Scott, Colin Montgomerie, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald, who has not played since injuring his wrist at the US Open.