Eales has day to remember

Standing amid the chic extravagance of this Swiss alpine resort, Paul Eales today offered a sobering perspective on his sport and his surroundings after hauling himself into contention for the Omega European Masters.

At the age of 40 Eales is in the twilight of a career that features just one Tour title, claimed in Spain nine years ago, and already he is moonlighting as an on-course commentator for Radio Five Live.

So far this season he has missed the cut in 13 of 19 tournaments. But the combination of a new Callaway Black ball "that flies so far I feel I'm cheating" and a rediscovered touch on and around the greens earned Eales a second-round two-under-par 69.

That is good enough to send him into the weekend just one shot behind joint clubhouse leaders Ernie Els and Trevor Immelman, of South Africa, and New Zealand's Michael Campbell, who are eight under for the tournament. Eales said: "I'm looking forward to the weekend massively. Tomorrow is going to be a big round, probably my biggest of the year.

"Yes, it has been a struggle. I've got a little boy at home and we've had one or two problems. My father has just been diagnosed with a brain tumour and so has my wife Anne's mother, so we've had a bit of a fraught time.

"You come away and try to put it at the back of your mind, but when you're a small, close-knit family it hurts a little bit and you want to be there with them." Eales is also coping with the recent death through illness of his caddie Michael Wareham.