SOTOGRANDE, Spain, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Angel Cabrera threatened to pull away during the second round of the Volvo Masters Friday, but he was tripped up by Valderrama's notorious 17th hole.
Cruising with a seven-stroke lead, Cabrera double-bogeyed the par-5 17th and settled for a four-stroke advantage at the midway point of the European Tour's season-ending tournament.
"That could be very expensive," said the 33-year-old Argentinian of his double bogey. "The rest of the field still has a four-stroke handicap to make up but I lost my momentum with that seven.
"I drove into the bunker and hit a bad lob wedge for my third shot and it came up short in the water."
Cabrera finished the day with a 1-over 72 and was at 7-under-135 for the tournament after firing a 63 on Thursday.
Spain's Sergio Garcia, Colin Montgomerie of Scotland, Bradley Dredge of Wales and Robert Karlsson of Sweden were tied for second at 3-under.
Garcia shot a 70 on Friday, but missed a short birdie attempt on the last hole.
"Yeah, it was frustrating," Garcia said of his late miss. "Now I think the outcome will depend on Cabrera and if the wind blows over the weekend."
Montgomerie, who won the title here in 1993, also missed a short birdie putt on 18 and carded a 69 Friday.
"I was disappointed not to hole that putt," Montgomerie said. "I realized that if I holed it I would play with Cabrera and I was trying to do that for my own benefit and to put some pressure on."
Dredge shot a 71 and Karlsson fired the lowest round of the day with a 67.
Justin Rose of England, Phillip Price of Wales and Fredrik Jacobson of Sweden were tied at 2-under.
Padraig Harrington of Ireland, the winner of last year's tournament at Montecastillo Hotel and Golf Resort, needs to finish in the top 27 to have a chance at ousting Retief Goosen of South Africa from the Order of Merit title. But he followed a 74 with a 76 and was tied for 48th place at 8-over for the tournament.
The fourth-ranked player in the world, Goosen shot a 74 on Friday and was tied for 34th at 5-over.
The eighth-ranked player in the world, Harrington had to wait until the long 17th for his first birdie after bogeys on the first, fourth, seventh, ninth and 10th holes.
"I've got no confidence on the greens at the moment and I just didn't play well," Harrington said. Goosen's only birdie was also at the 17th and he double-bogeyed the short 12th.
Harrington entered the week 14,538 British pounds behind Goosen for the Order of Merit lead.
