Golf Madrid Open: Paul Casey improved his lead at the Telefonica Madrid Open yesterday as Padraig Harrington blamed the weather for his slip down the leaderboard.An unseasonable frost covered the Club de Campo course yesterday morning and play was delayed for two hours.

Harrington's two over par 73 left him the best placed Irishman after being joint third overnight.

"It was a strange day at the office. I didn't play very well, didn't play as well as I have been," he said. "I seemed to make mistakes at the wrong time, it was pretty ugly."

He carded a double-bogey six at this third hole after starting at the tenth and he felt the weather delay played a role. "It didn't help me. It got me thinking a little too much about my game.

"If anything, I found something wrong on the range. I wasn't comfortable with my alignment and I took that onto the course with me. That's what you do on the range, look for something wrong."

Kilkenny's Gary Murphy was pleased, however, after he all but secured his place at next week's season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama with a 68.

"I was a lot more solid today, there were no fireworks but it looks like I'll make it next week, I need to be in the top 30," he said.

Murphy, who sank a 15-foot birdie putt at the last, lies at three under - nine off the lead and one behind Harrington.

Peter Lawrie, who is assured of becoming the first Irishman to win the rookie of the year title, shot 69 to settle on one over par. He had to wait until this morning and the completion of the remaining rounds to see if he made the cut.

Graham McDowell was at four over for the tournament after nine holes of his second round and Paul McGinley was at three over after completing 11 holes of the second round.

Casey, who shot a 63 on Thursday, went out in 32 yesterday to take a comfortable lead at 13 under, with three holes to play today. He is trailed by a group of three on nine under - Australian Peter Fowler and Scots Paul Lawrie and Stephen Gallagher

But there was a sad denouement for one of the great Scottish golfers. Sandy Lyle, after 25 years on the European Tour and two major championship wins, retired with a back injury while at eight over par and lost his Tour card.

He had needed a top nine finish to stay on tour and would only say: "There'll be no hasty decisions." His compatriot, Paul Lawrie, moved up the leaderboard with a 64 which he credited to a putting overhaul.

The 1999 British Open Champion yesterday revealed he had spent his whole putting career up until now looking at the putter rather than the ball - highly unusual for a top pro. But he has changed to the more orthodox method this week. "I used to follow the putter with my eyes, I had always done it. If you putt well why change it?" he said.

But this year he has putted very badly, sixth in green regulations he is 47th on the Order of Merit. "I've played well tee to green, but my putting has been atrocious. Well I decided to change it and asked quite a lot of players what they did. Pretty much everyone watches the ball."

The new method has worked well this week: he had 29 putts on Thursday and 27 yesterday.

Meanwhile, Vijay Singh took a one-shot lead early in the second round of the Funai Classic after carding a seven-under-par 65 yesterday. Singh was on 15-under 129 for the tournament.

Bob Estesheld second place, with John Rollins third another stroke back. Club de Campo scores

Completed second round totals

(Irish in bold, British unless stated, par 71)

(x) denotes amateur

133- Paul Lawrie 69 64, Peter Fowler (Aus) 67 66, Stephen Gallacher 69 64 134 - Marten Olander (Swe) 69 65 135 - Angel Cabrera (Arg) 67 68, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 64 71

136 - Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 69 67, Lee Westwood 68 68

137 - Andrew Coltart 69 68, David Park 74 63, Miles Tunnicliff 67 70, (x) Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 67 70

138 - Padraig Harrington 65 73, Brian Davis 70 68, Kenneth Ferrie 72 66, Anders Hansen (Den) 71 67

139 - Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 68 71, Soren Hansen (Den) 69 70, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 69 70, Martin Maritz (Rsa) 69 70, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 71 68, Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 69 70, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 69 70, Rolf Muntz (Ned) 71 68, Gary Murphy 71 68

140 - David Howell 71 69, Carlos Balmaseda (Spa) 72 68, Ian Woosnam 68 72, Matthew Blackey 70 70, Andrew Oldcorn 71 69

141 - Adam Scott (Aus) 72 69, Barry Lane 67 74, Alastair Forsyth 70 71, Jamie Spence 71 70, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 73 68

142 - Costantino Rocca (Ita) 75 67, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 72 70, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 72 70, Gary Emerson 74 68, Santiago Luna (Spa) 71 71

143 - Mathias Gronberg (Swe) 74 69, Sven Struver (Ger) 72 71, Alvaro Salto (Spa) 72 71, Peter Lawrie 74 69

144 - Simon Wakefield 72 72, Philip Golding 70 74, Paul Eales 75 69, Roger Chapman 76 68, Ian Garbutt 73 71, Tomas Munoz (Spa) 71 73

145 - John Bickerton 74 71, Nicolas Vanhootegem (Bel) 71 74, Peter Baker 74 71, Jonathan Lomas 73 72, Henrik Nystrom (Swe) 71 74

146 - Emanuele Canonica (Ita) 73 73, Mark James 70 76

147 - Marc Farry (Fra) 73 74

148 - Mark Pilkington 73 75

149 - David Carter 75 74

150 - Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 78 72, Seve Ballesteros (Spa) 76 74

152 - Victor Fernandez (Spa) 78 74, Gordon Brand Jnr 74 78

159 - Juan Vizcaya (Spa) 83 76