Paul Casey brought his poor run of form in America to the Forest of Arden today, crashing to an outward 42 in the second round of the Daily Telegraph Dunlop Masters.

While Ryder Cup partner David Howell continued his bid for the title and Brian Davis, another of the band of Europeans who have shone in the States this season, dropped out of the lead with a triple bogey eight and then climbed back into it, Casey looked like missing yet another half-way cut.

He has failed to make it to the weekend in five of his six US Tour starts, including last month's Masters at Augusta, and although he has beaten cup team-mate Paul McGinley in a play-off in China his confidence is low.

It was problems on the greens that caused an horrendous start in the difficult windy conditions this morning.

After going over the back of the 10th, his first, he three-putted from inside six feet for a double bogey six and then on the long 12th had a four-putt seven, the last three putts from inside three feet.

More dropped shots came on the 14th and 18th, though both of those were as a result of finding sand.

Howell, whose 11th place on his Masters debut was by some distance his best-ever performance in a major, has not won a title since the 1999 Dubai Desert Classic.

But on the course where he led after an opening 66 last year he was one of four overnight leaders following a 69 this time and with seven holes to play remained three under.

It was a rollercoaster ride. Driving into a bunker cost him a bogey on the 11th and he let another shot go at the short 15th, but then birdies at three of the next four.

At four under the Swindon golfer led on his own, but then came another bogey on the 364-yard second.

Davis has already earned approaching #400,000 in America this season, finishing third in the Nissan Open in February, and he was two clear when he birdied the 11th and 12th.

But after a bogey on the 16th he put two balls in the lake at the 516-yard next and after finally making the green with his sixth shot, horseshoed out of the hole with his 18-foot putt.

In stark contrast to Casey, though, Davis is brimming with confidence and he came back with birdies at the first and third to make it a five-way tie at the top.

Also three under were David Lynn and Ben Mason, who like Colin Montgomerie (72 yesterday) were late starters, and Dane Soren Hansen.

Darren Clarke, like Montgomerie twice a winner on the course, produced highs and lows in equal measure to stand two over after 10.

The high was an eagle on the 17th, where he struck a massive drive well over 300 yards and an approach to five feet, but he had bogeys either side and on the 12th almost had steam coming out of his ears.

Another great drive set up a birdie or even eagle chance, but his second flew long and left into a patch of horrendous rough.

On arriving at the spot Clarke threw away the club he had in his hand and pulled another out of his bag as though he was about to break it into a hundred bits.

The club survived and although he moved the ball only a few yards and then played an average chip to 12 feet sinking the putt meant he saved par.

Davis had another birdie at the 195-yard fifth and at four under was out on his own in front once more.

Howell was two behind after running up a six on the long third, but coming into the picture after fours there was defending champion Barry Lane and Thomas Bjorn. They stood two under and one under respectively.

Davis still had two of the hardest holes to play - the sixth and the ninth - but after a bogey on the first of them he grabbed another birdie at the long seventh to return to four under, one ahead of Howell, Lynn, Mason, Hansen and Bjorn, who was four under for the day after also making four on the seventh.

Casey birdied it too, but that followed four more bogeys to put him nine over for the day.

The wind was not easing for the afternoon starters and Montgomerie fell to two over with a double bogey six at the fourth, while Lynn bogeyed the first and sixth to slide to one under.