Golf Olazabal one shot off the lead

Golf

Olazabal one shot off the lead

Jose Maria Olazabal, who says he will turn down a wild-card invitation to play for Europe against the United States in next month's Ryder Cup match, was only one stroke behind the halfway leader, Jim Gallagher Jnr, in the NEC World Series of at Akron, Ohio. The 29-year-old Spaniard, who has been handicapped all year by a foot injury, added a second-round level-par 70 to his opening 68 as he continued to make a spirited defence of his title. Nick Faldo, who has already been confirmed as one of the European captain Bernard Gallacher's two wild cards for Oak Hill, was a further four shots behind Olazabal after his second successive 71. Meanwhile, the world No 1 Greg Norman has refused to retract charges that his American playing partner Mark McCumber cheated during the first round. The Australian, who had a second-round 68 for a total of 141, said: "I didn't sign the scorecard for a reason. What I saw is what I saw. I'm 100 per cent correct."