THREE faces told the story of another fascinating day in the Arabian desert.

Lee Westwood's radiated confidence. Two strokes is not a substantial advantage at half way in any professional golf championship, but the Englishman is firmly in command of himself, his golf game and, ominously, the situation.

Rory McIlroy's expression was etched with frustration. Two short missed putts on the back nine cost him the second-round lead at the Dubai World Championship and punctured his certainty ... yet youngsters bounce back quickly, especially ones as gifted as this phenomenal 20-year-old.

Padraig Harrington, meanwhile, beamed blissfully, despite hitting two balls into the water for double-bogey seven on the Earth Course's intriguing final hole. Like McIlroy moments earlier, he'd just surrendered first place to Westwood but it didn't trouble the Dubliner one whit.

Yet if this was poker, Westwood (36) would be holding two aces going into the flop -- clearly, his form is strong after last month's win in the Portuguese Masters, while 12 years Tour experience should stand to him this weekend as he tries to snatch back the Race to Dubai lead from McIlroy in the season-ending showpiece.

Westwood also believes that Billy Foster, a formidable caddie who has worked for Seve Ballesteros, Darren Clarke and Sergio Garcia, will strengthen his attempt to add a second European Order of Merit to the one he won in 2000. "Looking at that board there," said Westwood, glancing at the head of the field, "I'd say there's probably nobody more experienced than the pair of us, so hopefully that'll have a massive effect this weekend."

Foster has "banned" Westwood from looking at leaderboards this week or worrying about Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy or the two other players who entered this week with a mathematical chance of topping the money list -- Martin Kaymer and Ross Fisher, who've actually fallen off the pace during the opening 36 holes.

Effectively blinkered for the first time, Westwood is concentrating on his own golf and likes what he sees. "I'm in as much control of my game as I've been for a while," he explained. "Since Portugal, I certainly feel very calm and happy with myself. All parts of my game feel solid."

Even on a day like yesterday, when Westwood had to endure a frustrating barren patch of 13 holes between his brace of opening birdies and the satisfying pair he landed at 16 and 18 to complete the round of 69 which lifted him to nine-under.

grinding

"It certainly was much harder today with the wind blowing and some of the flag positions didn't really fit my eye, yet I kept grinding it out," explained Westwood.

McIlroy and Harrington are well placed on seven-under after their second round 69s. They lie in a six-way tie for second with Ross McGowan, Louis Oosthuizen, Camillo Villegas and Robert Allenby. Yet if the Worksop man retains his focus and strength of purpose over the final 36 holes, it'll take something exceptional from McIlroy or Harrington to overhaul him.

In fairness, the two Irishmen played some exceptional golf yesterday. After sweet birdies on the first two holes, for example, McIlroy produced the shot of the tournament so far at the par five seventh, a 231-yard 3-iron which came to rest 18 inches from the pin, setting him up for a splendid eagle.

As Westwood stalled with a bogey at eight, McIlroy surged into the lead, a birdie at nine sent him through the turn in 31, five-under par. Yet McIlroy would be frustrated on the back nine, especially by back-to-back bogeys at 14 and 15. After putting sublimely for 31 holes, plainly it was dispiriting for the youngster to three-putt twice on successive holes.

If Harrington's second round started slowly, an eagle he landed at seven, courtesy of a splendid 221-yard hybrid to three feet, sparked a sensational run by the Dubliner, who leapt into contention with birdies on the next three holes and then joined McIlroy in the lead with another at the long 14th.

Yet Harrington's reputation for hydrophobia, sparked by his two visits to the burn on his 72nd hole at Carnoustie in 2007 and buttressed by a series of spectacular splashdowns at Firestone and in the US PGA this summer, reared up once again yesterday on the 605 yard 18th.

First, Harrington pushed his drive and it bounced into the stream which meanders up the middle of the fairway. After dropping out and hitting a good hybrid up the left, the Dubliner confidently pulled the same club for the 217 yards shot into the flag.

Drawing it into the headwind coming slightly off the left, he was unconcerned when the ball flew a little long because "I'd no idea the hazard continued on the left side of the green."

Into the water it went and Harrington, showing admirable presence of mind, fished that second ball out of the hazard (necessary by rule if it can be retrieved in safety) and located the optimum place to drop -- in the fringe rough 25 paces from the hole. From there he putted twice for double-bogey.

"That was a good seven. I only hit it three times and had two good putts," he said, beaming. Harrington's ability to keep his cool and see the bright side in every circumstance is precious indeed.

Peter Lawrie sank a sweet 12-foot putt for par on 18 to edge Gregory Bourdy by one stroke (70 to 71) in the first sporting confrontation between Ireland and France since Wednesday's World Cup debacle in Paris.

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- Karl MacGinty

Irish Independent