Publications
Partners
Paris - Spain's Alejandro Canizares surged to a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the French Open on Friday after hitting a second successive 66 at Le Golf National.
Four birdies in the last five holes gave the Spaniard a ten-under par 132 to lead defending champion Martin Kaymer of Germany.
Kaymer, who beat Lee Westwood in a play-off here last year, birdied the tenth, 14th and 17th to add a 67 to his opening round 66.
Overnight leader Robert-Jan Derksen sits a further shot back after the Dutchman added a level par 71 to his opening round 63.
Both Kaymer and Canizares, son of 1989 Ryder Cup hero Jose-Maria, had their rounds interrupted for nearly two and a half hours by a thunderstorm.
Canizares, whose one previous victory came in Russia four years ago, had to return to The Qualifying School last November. And he is hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow graduates Simon Khan and Fredrik Andersson Hed by lifting a trophy.
"I was a little negative in my play last year, I wasn't into it very much and had a couple of problems, personal problems," said the 27-year-old from Madrid.
"But this year, I came out, I got my card again, so it was like a new start and I knew what I lost and I learned to appreciate it a little more, this game, and try to have fun and try and enjoy it." England's Westwood fired a second round two-under par 69 to put him seven strokes behind Canizares amid continuing concerns about the state of his right leg.
The world number three had to go to hospital in Paris on Wednesday after developing a swelling on his leg, raising fears he had contracted deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Tests ruled that out but, with the British Open at St Andrews just two weeks away, the problem still appears to be affecting Westwood.
Westwood had a hat-trick of birdies early on, but bogeyed the 17th for the second day running and put his tee shot into the lake for a double-bogey five at the short second.
He came back, though, with further birdies on the sixth and seventh.
"It just gets sore as the day goes on," he said after returning to the clubhouse on Friday.
"I just need to ice it I guess. It doesn't hurt when I swing - except just a little bit on the way through - but does not feel very nice up short, sharp hills and there are a lot of them." England's Ian Poulter was pleased with his recovery from a bad reaction to an insect bite on Monday and did not drop a stroke as he added a 67 to his opening 72 for three-under.
Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald, the other world top-10 players in the field, were both three-under as well, but Scotland's Montgomerie missed a 15-foot birdie putt on the last and missed the cut by two-over as did Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke.
French star Jean Van de Velde, who in only his second event of the year began with a 66 for joint second place, set off again with a double bogey and with a 76 fell right back to level par.
England's David Horsey failed to follow on his success from the BMW International Open in Munich last weekend as he missed the cut following a five-over second round 76.
Four birdies in the last five holes gave the Spaniard a ten-under par 132 to lead defending champion Martin Kaymer of Germany.
Kaymer, who beat Lee Westwood in a play-off here last year, birdied the tenth, 14th and 17th to add a 67 to his opening round 66.
Overnight leader Robert-Jan Derksen sits a further shot back after the Dutchman added a level par 71 to his opening round 63.
Both Kaymer and Canizares, son of 1989 Ryder Cup hero Jose-Maria, had their rounds interrupted for nearly two and a half hours by a thunderstorm.
Canizares, whose one previous victory came in Russia four years ago, had to return to The Qualifying School last November. And he is hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow graduates Simon Khan and Fredrik Andersson Hed by lifting a trophy.
"I was a little negative in my play last year, I wasn't into it very much and had a couple of problems, personal problems," said the 27-year-old from Madrid.
"But this year, I came out, I got my card again, so it was like a new start and I knew what I lost and I learned to appreciate it a little more, this game, and try to have fun and try and enjoy it." England's Westwood fired a second round two-under par 69 to put him seven strokes behind Canizares amid continuing concerns about the state of his right leg.
The world number three had to go to hospital in Paris on Wednesday after developing a swelling on his leg, raising fears he had contracted deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Tests ruled that out but, with the British Open at St Andrews just two weeks away, the problem still appears to be affecting Westwood.
Westwood had a hat-trick of birdies early on, but bogeyed the 17th for the second day running and put his tee shot into the lake for a double-bogey five at the short second.
He came back, though, with further birdies on the sixth and seventh.
"It just gets sore as the day goes on," he said after returning to the clubhouse on Friday.
"I just need to ice it I guess. It doesn't hurt when I swing - except just a little bit on the way through - but does not feel very nice up short, sharp hills and there are a lot of them." England's Ian Poulter was pleased with his recovery from a bad reaction to an insect bite on Monday and did not drop a stroke as he added a 67 to his opening 72 for three-under.
Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald, the other world top-10 players in the field, were both three-under as well, but Scotland's Montgomerie missed a 15-foot birdie putt on the last and missed the cut by two-over as did Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke.
French star Jean Van de Velde, who in only his second event of the year began with a 66 for joint second place, set off again with a double bogey and with a 76 fell right back to level par.
England's David Horsey failed to follow on his success from the BMW International Open in Munich last weekend as he missed the cut following a five-over second round 76.
