Golf-Acupuncture does the trick for a desperate Lara

By Tony Jimenez

LOCH LOMOND, Scotland, July 13 (Reuters) - Sheer desperation forced Spain's Jose Manuel Lara, joint leader after the second round of the Scottish Open, to seek acupuncture treatment to cure an injury to his left Achilles earlier this year.

The Hong Kong Open champion was forced out of the Spanish Open in April and did not return to the European Tour until he missed the cut in the PGA Championship at Wentworth towards the end of May.

"To be honest I was desperate," Lara told reporters after a 65 put him on the same 10-under total of 132 as Frenchman Gregory Havret on Friday. "Nobody could tell me what I had and I didn't know how I did it. "I tried everything and it didn't work. Then somebody told me about this Korean guy in Valencia called Cho and he put around 15 needles in my hands, my knuckles, my arm, neck and knee."

Lara is still not 100 percent fit but he is much better than he was.

"He (Cho) tells me every time I visit him, you have 85 percent to go, 70, 60, and now I am playing, he says I have 15, 10 percent to go."

Late starter Lara had by far the worst of the weather on Friday, finishing his round in pouring rain.

"The conditions over the last five holes were really tough," said the 30-year-old. "But I knew we would finish the round because there was no electrical storm and the course drains well."

Lara refused to be put off by the bad weather, sinking a 30-foot putt for an eagle three at the 13th and another from the same distance for a birdie three at the 16th.