Westwood heading for Le crunch at Versailles with one eye on The Open

The chance to pocket £ 527,000 tomorrow and leapfrog Miguel Angel Jiminez at the top of the last European Order of Merit before it becomes the Race to Dubai has worked wonders for his concentration.

He has not allowed his mind to dwell on his near miss at the U.S. Open, where he finished third, nor think too much about his prospects for The Open in three weeks, with the field wide open in the absence of Tiger Woods.

French connection: Westwood believes ¿linksy¿ Versailles can give him an edge at Birkdale

Yet as he shot a second-round 68 yesterday to move within two shots of leader Pablo Larrazabal and England's David Lynn, he could not shut out Royal Birkdale completely.

In conditions that were windier than on Thursday when the young Spaniard opened with a 65, Westwood tamed a course that holds horrors to match any that the Lancashire links course can offer.

'Obviously I am treating the French Open with the respect that it deserves because it is a big championship and a good one to win,' said Westwood after moving into contention with a bogey-free round.

'But it is also great practice for The Open. We are not going to play a links course before then so this is as close as it's going to get. Obviously, I will go and have a practice round at Birkdale next week but this is very linksy, very bouncy.

'The ball is running down the fairway and you have to shape your ball into the breeze.

'There has been a decent breeze blowing out there, one that you have to contend with and you have to punch shots into the wind and hoist them in the air downwind, so it's very helpful.

'And you have to keep the ball straight. I don't think I have seen rough as bad as it is here in Versailles since Carnoustie in 1999. It's chest high at points and in one place only five yards off the fairway.'

With 29 victories all around the world in the past 12 years, Westwood is the hot favourite to win tomorrow, even though last year's U.S. Open Champion Angel Cabrera will be in the mix.

But it was the sight of those two names chasing Larrazabal that convinced him he can continue the French Open's recent tradition set by shock winners Malcolm Mackenzie and Phillip Golding and see his own name inscribed on the massive silver trophy.

He moved to seven-under par with a second-round 70 in which early nerves caused him to drop a shot at his opening hole of the day but then recover with birdies at his third and fourth holes.

'I was a little tired when I started out because I had been up late watching the Spain football match,' said the 25-year-old from Santander.

'I was a little nervous, especially after a birdie at the 13th because when I looked at the scoreboard I saw I was four shots clear.

'When I saw some of the names on the leaderboard with me I started to feel that I could play like them.

They are huge stars and I am a rookie, but to know that I can play like them, to score lower than them for two rounds, is great for me.'

Colin Montgomerie sunk a seven-foot birdie putt to complete a second-round 68 and join Westwood and Cabrera at five under.

But as he tries to prolong his Ryder Cup career, Monty was suffering more from frustration than elation.

'The way that I hit the ball today and then to miss every putt was unbelievable,' said the Scot.

'That 68 was the very minimum that I deserved. That was as good as I can play from tee to green. I have hit 33 greens in regulation out of 36 round here which is back to the way that I used to play and win tournaments.

'I am not going back to the hotel, which I would have done in the 90s, I am off to the putting green. You might find a different putter tomorrow. If I can be patient and hole a fair share then I have a chance.'

Lynn, from Stoke, joined Larrazabal at the top of the leaderboard after a brilliant finish. He holed out from a greenside bunker at the 18th for a birdie and an impressive round of 65.