GOLF TOUR NEWS:EIGHT PLAYERS were separated by a single shot at the halfway stage of the Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain yesterday – and one of them got there with his putter in two pieces.

A moment of anger after a succession of misses might have cost 47-year-old Miguel Angel Jimenez dear, but in a remarkable closing stretch he had a hat-trick of birdies on the 15th, 16th and 17th using his lobwedge instead.

Round in a seven-under-par 65, the Spaniard goes into the weekend on the 11-under mark of 133 and sharing top spot with Ryder Cup team-mates Peter Hanson and Edoardo Molinari and also Raphael Jacquelin.

Darren Clarke, who shot a 65, Paul Casey, South African James Kingston and Scot Stephen Gallacher are right on their heels, Gallacher following a record-equalling 64.

Molinari’s start made his day. He birdied the first six holes and closed with another for a 65 as he looked for a win that could take him back above his brother Francesco on the world rankings.

And that is saying something given that Francesco, himself well in the hunt at nine under, is currently ranked 15th.

Jacquelin also shot 65, while Hanson added a 67 to his opening 66 as fellow Swede Johan Edfors, the overnight leader, fell back with a 71.

Sergio Garcia, playing his first event of the year, is in the group just three behind after a rollercoaster 69, but Pádraig Harrington still has six shots to make up and both Colin Montgomerie and Ian Poulter made the cut with only a stroke to spare at three under.

Casey would have been tied at the top but for a bogey on the 17th, yet it was a good bogey.

After driving into the water he chipped in.

“I don’t have very good control of the ball,” he said. “That tee shot was horrific and I’m not sure what direction it’s going. I gave myself opportunities when I could find it. Luckily the course is generous in places and you can get away with it – I showed that.”

Gallacher commented: “I was eating breakfast and saw Molinari had started with six birdies, so I knew it was on.” He matched the first five of them and after a bogey on the 18th came home in 32.

Garcia, despite struggling with his footwear (he slipped on three separate occasions) crashed from nine under to six under with a double bogey on the 474-yard par 4 15th – he hit his approach into the lake – and bogey on the short next, but finished with two birdies.

“I have soft spikes on my golf shoes and I may have to consider replacing them with metal spikes,” Garcia said.

“The fairways are very green but the funny thing is that I didn’t slip at all yesterday but three times today. It’s just unfortunate because it happened when I was playing my best golf today. I was nine under coming to 15 and the double was a bitter pill.

“But hopefully with a full set of new spikes I won’t have the problem tomorrow.”

Garcia, 31, who has dropped to 80th in the world having plummeted 60 places in a year – a drop accelerated by his decision to take an extended break after last year’s US PGA Championship – was delighted to be in contention in his first event of the year.

“It’s nice to come out in your first event of a new year and be in contention,” he said.

“I had seven birdies today including two to finish which was good because I dropped three shots in two holes at 15 and 16.

“But the good thing is that I came back nicely with birdies at the last two holes. Overall there is a lot of good things in my game and also some not so good things.”

In an unusual move the cut survivors are joined for today’s third round by amateurs.

European Tour Volvo Champions

133 – Peter Hanson (Swe) 66 67, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 68 65, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 68 65, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 68 65.

134 – Stephen Gallacher 70 64, James Kingston (Rsa) 67 67, Paul Casey 67 67, Darren Clarke 69 65.

135 – Francesco Molinari (Ita) 66 69, Johan Edfors (Swe) 64 71.

136 – Robert Karlsson (Swe) 69 67, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 71 65, Steve Webster 68 68, Anders Hansen (Den) 68 68, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 67 69, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 67 69, Graeme Storm 66 70.

137 – Seung-yul Noh (Kor) 69 68, Matteo Manassero (Ita) 67 70, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 68 69, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 66 71, Paul Broadhurst 69 68, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 70 67, Brett Rumford (Aus) 68 69, Alexander Noren (Swe) 67 70, David Dixon 71 66, Richard Green (Aus) 67 70, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 69 68, Bradley Dredge 70 67.

138 – Christian Nilsson (Swe) 68 70, Andrew Dodt (Aus) 69 69.

139 – Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 70 69, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 70 69, Soren Hansen (Den) 71 68, David Horsey 69 70, Scott Strange (Aus) 68 71, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 70 69, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 69 70, Anthony Wall 69 70, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 68 71, Mark Foster 69 70, Pádraig Harrington 70 69, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 72 67.

140 – Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 67 73, Richie Ramsay 72 68, Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 72 68, Kenneth Ferrie 71 69, Mark Brown (Nzl) 71 69, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 73 67.

141 – Martin Wiegele (Aut) 71 70, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 70 71, Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 70 71, Gary Orr 71 70, Colin Montgomerie 72 69, Todd Hamilton (US) 70 71, Paul Lawrie 68 73, Ian Poulter 72 69, Michael Hoey 72 69.

142 – Christian Cevaer (Fra) 71 71, Oliver Wilson 71 71, Phillip Price 73 69, Peter Lawrie 68 74, Danny Lee (Nzl) 70 72, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 75 67, Richard Finch 71 71, Markus Brier (Aut) 71 71, Tano Goya (Arg) 75 67.

Missed cut: 147 – Damien McGrane 75 72.