by a single shot at the halfway stage of the Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain – 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 using his lob-wedge 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 Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin.

Former cup pair Darren Clarke and Paul Casey, South African James Kingston and Scot Stephen Gallacher are right on their heels, Gallacher following a course recordequalling 64.

Hartlepool’s Graeme Storm, now attatched to Rockliffe Park, fired a second round 70 on the back of Thursday’s 66.

Clarke took great delight in telling how playing partner Jimenez ‘‘just caught the edge of his bag’’ with the putter, adding that his backswing was ‘‘a bit long’’.

The Malaga golfer was in the mood to laugh about it as well, though, after picking up shots at the 15th, 16th and 17th.

‘‘I think now I putt with my lob-wedge,’’ he joked.

In contrast 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 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 Padraig 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.

Leaderboard

(Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 72): 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