India's highest ranked golfer Jeev Milkha Singh [Images] moved into tied ninth spot at the Volvo Masters with a round of 71 that gave him a total of even par 142 at the midway stage of the elite European event.

Lying 19th overnight, Jeev had two birdies on the front nine, but lost the advantage with two bogeys on the back nine.

Jeev, the current leader in the Asian Tour's Order of Merit, had birdies on the first and eighth but dropped shots on 12th and 13th. He was let down by indifferent putting as he needed 31 putts in comparison to the 25 he had in the first round.

Jeev is 44th on the European Tour Money List after winning the Volvo China Open earlier this season.

Henrik Stenson of Sweden led the field after a three-under 68 that gave him a two-day total of four-under 138. He leads by one from England's [Images] Lee Westwood (70) going into a weekend in which he cannot himself win the Order of Merit crown, but can certainly influence the way it goes.

Padraig Harrington made impressive strides with a 69 that took him to ninth place. He needs to finish at least third to have a chance of overhauling Paul Casey, the current leader on the Money List.

Casey, recovering from a stomach ailment, had a 72 that after his first round 76, put him in tied 35th place.

Stenson used his putter just three times in the course of reeling off five successive birdies between the 13th and 17^th over one of the toughest stretches in European golf.

England's Simon Dyson had the distinction of a hole in one at the third with a six iron from 185 yards.