Golf Events / Editor / 26 May 2007 /

Justin Rose must be wishing he could play in front of a hometown crowd every week after taking the joint-lead at the halfway stage of this week's BMW PGA Championship.

Rose is making his first appearance at Wentworth for three years while he is also playing his first tournament for five weeks since the US Masters after an enforced lay-off with a back injury.

But if he has any rustiness with his swing or knowledge of the Surrey course, it hasn't shown too much as he followed up his opening day 66 with second round 70 to sit at the top of the leader board along with Argentine Angle Cabrera on eight-under-par.

The pair lie one shot clear of local favourite Ross Fisher and Australian Marcus Fraser, with a group of players one stroke further back including Miguel Angel Jimenez, Paul Broadhurst, Shiv Kapur, little-known Australian Matthew Millar and European number one Padraig Harrington.

Rose opened the week trading at 29 to claim his sixth worldwide tournament victory but can now be backed at 5.3 to win with 2005 champion Cabrera slightly longer at 5.4.
Harrington is a popular choice in the market as he chases a €1 million bonus after his victory at the Irish Open last weekend, and is trading at odds of 6.6 to triumph for the second successive week.

2006 European Player of the Year Paul Casey is available to back at 13 with Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez trading around three points longer ahead of Fisher (19), Marcus Fraser (29) and Broadhurst (32).

Unlike last year, Wentworth's West Course has played firm and fast this year, with the greens causing a number of problems to many of the high-class field.
But putting is one thing that hasn't troubled Rose so far this week with the Englishman having rolled in 15 birdie putts over the first two days.

While his driving has not, perhaps, been as accurate as he would have liked the same cannot be said of his short game - as shown when he birdied the final three holes on Friday - and it would be a surprise if he is not involved in the final shake-up on Sunday.
Rose certainly doesn't seem to have been affected by his lack of competitive action in the last two months and he is trading at just over 2 to place in the first five and 2.2 to finish as the top UK and Ireland player.

While Rose wishes he could play in front of a hometown crowd every week, Cabrera must wish he could play on the West Course week in, week out.
As well as winning here two years ago, the big-hitting Argentine has also finished runner-up twice before and he looks to be the form selection among the leading contenders going into the weekend.
Cabrera's round of 66 on Friday was the best of the day as he opened with an eagle two at the first hole and could have been even better, as he managed just one birdie in his final eight holes. The Argentine can be backed at 2.22 to finish in the top five while he is now favourite at 1.01 to emerge as the top Rest of the World player ahead of Ernie Els (2.02) and Kapur (2.62).

European number one Harrington has continued his fine form of last week and back-to-back 69s in the first two rounds show he is swinging well enough to win again.
He is 2.14 to challenge Rose as the top UK and Ireland player ahead of Casey, Broadhurst and Fisher.

Jimenez has experienced an average season to date but is also something of a course specialist - finishing third here last year behind David Howell - and he should be respected.

The same applies to Wentworth professional Fisher, who knows the course inside out and can be backed at 3.8 to finish in the top five.
He led for long periods of this year's Dubai Classic ahead of the likes of Tiger Woods, Els and Henrik Stenson and the experience should stand him in good stead this week.
Joint-first round leader Broadhurst, like Rose, has putted brilliantly so far but is likely to
have to hit the ball straighter off the tee if he is to be there at the finish on Sunday, while Kapur, who led briefly on Friday, appears attractively priced at 55 to win.

But the leaders will all know that some big names lie further down the field and low scores in the third round could easily lift them into contention.
Casey, winner of the World Match Play title here last year and 3.3 to come in the first five, is just four shots back on four-under after a second round 67, and would be even
closer but for the horrendous nine he took at the par-five 12th hole on the first day.

Nick Dougherty, 55 win and 8.6 to place in the top five, has twice gone close to winning already this season and played well here last year, while Ryder Cup stars Luke Donald (80 to win), Lee Westwood (140 to win) are Order of Merit leader Henrik Stenson (55 to win) are all close enough to have their say in the final outcome.

Pre-tournament favourite Els stands on level par and needs to cut out the bad holes - he has had seven bogeys and two double bogeys in the first two rounds - if he is to lift himself into contention, and is now trading at 44 to win his first PGA title.
South African Richard Sterne is close enough on the three-under-par mark and appears good value at 95 to win while it may also pay to keep an eye on Southampton's Richard Bland (540 to win), who came fifth here last year and is just six strokes adrift after successive rounds of 71.

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