Westwood's fine start undone by second-round 73

Last updated at 23:50 14 September 2007

Lee Westwood admitted his head was in a spin after coming down to earth with a bump to throw the Mercedes-Benz Championship wide open in Cologne.

Four ahead overnight after an opening 61 which equalled the lowest round of his

career, Westwood struggled to a second-round 73 at Gut Larchenhof to finish 10

under par, one behind Denmark's Soren Hansen.

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The former European number one again got off to a slow start, covering the

first four holes in one over, but threatened to repeat his feat of yesterday in

playing the last 14 in 11 under when he birdied the fifth and sixth and chipped

in for eagle on the seventh.

However, the 34-year-old's game fell to pieces on the back nine as the wind

picked up and he limped home in 40 - he covered the same stretch in 29 on

yesterday - including a visit to the water on the 18th.

"I didn't play too badly," he insisted. "Being honest I didn't hit enough

fairways and you have to do that round here.

"The rough is quite severe and when I did hit the fairways I hit a couple of

bad iron shots on the back nine.

"I came here with a bit of a cold and it's gradually got worse and I didn't

get a good night's sleep last night. My balance felt a bit upset and I struggled

to feel the right positions in my swing.

"I took a decongestant and it sent my head into a spin so I think I'll leave

off them!"

With immaculate greens and good weather forecast, tournament director Mikael

Eriksson had instructed his referees to place the pins in as tough positions as

possible for all four days, as Westwood found to his cost.

The pin on the par-three 16th was just 18ft from the front of the green and

Westwood's seven-iron tee-shot from 195 yards bounded some 100ft past on the

hard putting surface, leading to three putts and another bogey.

"They are putting the pins in tough spots and so they should be," the Ryder

Cup star added.

"We are supposed to be the best players in Europe and should be tested. It

brings the best players to the top.

"It's not a bad position to be in going into the weekend. It's a lot easier to

be chasing than leading. You don't often follow up a 61 with something better so

whatever you shoot you are going to be disappointed but I've had a lot worse

scores than 73."

Hansen has been a steady performer since joining the European Tour in 1999,

winning the Irish Open in a play-off in 2002.

But the Monte Carlo-based 33-year-old has never produced the sort of consistent

performances which have him 13th in the Order of Merit with two second places

and third in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles a fortnight ago to

his credit.

"Something has clicked the last few months," he admitted after a round

containing five birdies and one bogey.

"I knew it has always been in there and it was coming out here and there.

"But now every week I go out and play solid golf and if you do that and stay

patient, you're going to be rewarded.

"Lee Westwood is playing really well and a Lee Westwood in form is always a

dangerous man but there are still two rounds to go."