Hedblom and Millar overhaul Westwood

Peter Hedblom chipped in twice and Matthew Millar finished with a successful 100-foot putt as they took over at the top from Lee Westwood in the Andalucian Open here yesterday.

Defending champion Westwood, having opened with a seven-under-par 65, followed up with a 73, three-putting the last from only six feet. At the same hole 30 minutes later, Millar carved his drive into the trees, came up short of the green and then sank his pitch for a three and a round of 69.

Hedblom struggled with a heavy cold but as well as making a 25-foot eagle putt on the long fifth, holed from off the green at both the seventh and 13th to go round in 67. He and Millar, on eight-under-par totals of 136, lead by one from the English pair Richard Dinwiddie and David Lynn and Frenchman Thomas Levet.

Westwood dropped to joint sixth on six under, while the English amateur champion Danny Willett fell away to three under with a disappointing 75 after starting his first European Tour event with a brilliant 66.

"I didn't get the rub of the green and didn't get any momentum going," Willett said. "It brought me back to earth after the hype, but I've still made the cut comfortably." Westwood said: "I deserved better than 73, but you have days like that."

Jose Maria Olazabal was back on one under, but delighted to have made the cut in his first event since last August's US PGA.