Britain's Scotland, Slattery share lead at windy Deutsche Bank
 
Jul. 27, 2007

ALVESLOHE, Germany (AP) -- Englishmen Zane Scotland and Lee Slattery shared the second-round lead at the Deutsche Bank Players Championship on Friday with 9-under 135.

DEUTSCHE BANK PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP OF EUROPE
EUROPEAN TOUR
Dates: June 26-29
Location: Alveslohe, Germany
Purse: $5 million
Venue: Gut Kaden Golf Club
Par: 72
Yards: 7,290
Defending Champion: Robert Karlsson

Scotland shot a 68 and Slattery a 69 as gusts of wind and rains made things difficult for the golfers. Oliver Wilson and Andres Romero, who was a surprise third at the Open Championship, were a stroke back at 136.

However, first-round leader Simon Khan missed the cut after his 65 on Thursday was followed by an 80.

Henrik Stenson, ranked ninth in the world, was disqualified after losing count of how many shots he had taken. Given a 12 on the par-5 17th, he was unable to sign his scorecard.

"That was the problem -- I didn't sign my card because I couldn't figure (my score) out," Stenson said. "I missed a short one and then managed to double-hit it a couple of times in frustration."

Romero overcame a double bogey on the second hole by hitting seven birdies to finish with a 68. However, a gamble on the final hole cost him the lead, when his birdie attempt was struck hard and rolled 6 feet past the cup and ended as a bogey.

His aggressive play led to similar problems at the Open Championship, but the 26-year-old Romero said he will continue to play the style that excited spectators at last week's major.

"That's the way I play and I'm going to keep going this way," Romero said. "I just think we're not machines, so we're human. I'm not happy when I play a shot bad, but obviously what you see is what I show."

Romero led the Open until his second shot off a wall set up a double bogey on the 17th hole of the final round. A bogey followed, costing him a playoff with Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia.

Romero said the inexperience that hurt him at the Open may have surfaced again on his final hole bogey Friday.

"I won so many events in Argentina, but yeah, experience is something that I'm obviously looking for," said Romero, still chasing his first European Tour win.

Scotland injured his neck in a 2003 car crash, six years after winning a contest held by Sky Sports and The Sun newspaper to find Britain's answer to Tiger Woods. He couldn't practice until this year after two vertebrae were knocked out of place.

"At times I was sitting at home thinking 'this is going to be it for the rest of my days' and that's a horrible thing I don't want to go through ever again," Scotland said.

Miguel Angel Jimenez is at 137 and Paul Casey was another stroke back to remain in contention. Michael Campbell, the 2005 U.S. Open winner, missed the cut by two strokes with a 77 for 145.

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved.