Spanish Open under a dark cloud as Seve has fallen gravely ill.

Seve's family has issued a statement I posted earlier about the severe turn for the worse in his health, in fact there are fears for his life as the field wraps up round 2 in the Spanish Open in Barcelona, a national championship that owes it's popularity to Spain's greatest golfer.
europeantour.com   Meanwhile regarding the event, the seven week break from golf appears to have done South African Thomas Aiken no harm at all and he takes a one shot lead into the third round of the Open de España in Barcelona.

The 27 year old, who did not even touch a club during a month in the Bahamas, had his second successive 68 at El Prat to take over at the top from Scotland's Scott Jamieson.

"When I started (practising) again I thought 'what the hell have you done?' because everything felt so strange," said Aiken."I wasn't expecting much this week. I was using it to prepare for the rest of the season."

As in the first round Aiken - six times a winner in his home country, but yet to lift a European Tour title - made up for two bogeys with six birdies to stand eight under par.

Tour rookie Scott Jamieson dropped to joint third by following his opening 66 with a 72, a much better score than looked likely when he bogeyed three of the first six holes.

In between them is Pablo Larrazábal, playing on his home course and seeking a victory that he will surely dedicate to Seve Ballesteros given the latest fears for the life of Spain's greatest-ever golfer

1 AIKEN, Thomas* -8 18 -4 68 68 - - 136

2 LARRAZÁBAL, Pablo -7 18 -2 67 70 - - 137
T3 JAMIESON, Scott -6 18 Par 66 72 - - 138
T3 WATTEL, Romain* -6 18 -1 67 71 - - 138
T3 VELASCO, Alvaro -6 18 -6 72 66 - - 138
T3 WALL, Anthony* -6 18 -2 68 70 - - 138
T7 BOURDY, Grégory -5 18 -1 68 71 - - 139
T7 NOREN, Alexander -5 18 -5 72 67 - - 139
9 LAWRIE, Peter -4 18 Par 68 72 - - 140
T10 LEVET, Thomas* -3 18 -2 71 70 - - 141
T10 COLSAERTS, Nicolas* -3 18 -3 72 69 - - 141
T10 SINGH, Jeev Milkha* -3 18 +2 67 74 - - 141
T10 KALEKA, Alexandre -3 18 -2 71 70 - - 141
T10 JONZON, Michael -3 18 -4 73 68 - - 141
T10 PRICE, Phillip* -3 18 -1 70 71 - - 141
T10 CÉVAËR, Christian* -3 18 -3 72 69 - - 141
T10 HANSEN, Anders -3 18 Par 69 72 - - 141
T10 HORSEY, David -3 18 -2 71 70 - - 141
T10 DINWIDDIE, Robert -3 18 -4 73 68 - - 141

Bryan Angus also on twitter@mummmbles