Webster enjoys warm-up act

Webster, whose maiden European Tour victory came in the Italian Open in the spring, shot a five-under-par 67 to move to six under par and into the lead with fellow Briton Mark Foster.

Foster, the overnight leader, shot a 70 as he attempts to ensure he has a Tour card for next year after slumping to 122nd on the European money list.

"I've never played in America before," said Webster. "It will be good to go to the States playing nicely."

He added: "This is quite a good test this week because it is quite a tricky driving course and it should stand me in good stead for next week."

The tournament, which lost its leading attraction, Colin Montgomerie, the previous day because of a finger injury, suffered two more casualties yesterday.

Stephen Gallacher is now also in danger of missing the US PGA Championship at Baltusrol after a recurring back injury flared up again, causing him to pull out after nine holes, lying 10 over par. Germany's Sven Struver withdrew with toothache.

One player not feeling so much pain any more was Britain's 2004 Ryder Cup player Paul Casey, who came out of a nightmare run of six successive missed cuts, including a withdrawal from the US Open after only one round, by making the weekend comfortably on level-par for two rounds following a 73.