Francesco Molinari revels in cold European PGA Champs conditions

Francesco Molinari flourished while five of his European Ryder Cup team-mates fell flat on their faces as the Italian grabbed the lead after the PGA Championship second round on Friday.

Luke Donald, the 2011 and 2012 winner, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell and Paul Lawrie all missed the halfway cut after struggling in cold, dank conditions at the European Tour's flagship event.

Brett Rumford and Andrew Dodt were the best placed Australians, each sitting in a tie for 56th after shooting second rounds of 1-under to sit two shots above the card overall.

A miserable Wentworth course almost turned into 'Wetworth' as driving rain, eight-degree temperatures and 24km/h winds brought out the multi-coloured umbrellas, waterproofs, mittens and beanies for the second day in a row.

The bad weather played right into Molinari's hands though as he fired a 4-under 68 for a 6-under tally of 138.

British pair Marc Warren (70) and Mark Foster (69), Spain's Alejandro Canizares (70) and South African George Coetzee (70) were all one stroke off the pace.

"This weather is the same for everyone but I think in some ways, for me, it's almost better because it makes it even tougher," Molinari told reporters.

"If I'm playing well I hit quite a lot of fairways and greens so I can take advantage of it," said the Italian who is renowned for the excellence of his long game.

"I'm hitting the ball well off the tee and with the irons, I'm getting a few chances and the putter is working well so I'm really happy where I am at the moment."

Molinari may have been smiling but Donald, McIlroy, Poulter, McDowell and Lawrie certainly were not.

Donald, bidding for a hat-trick of PGA titles, could not retrieve the situation after a woeful first-round 78 had left him with a mountain to climb to make the cut.

"Even for England this is pretty unseasonal and it made the course play tougher," said the Briton after returning a 72 on Friday.

"The last couple of years it's been pretty warm for this event and the ball travelled a lot.

"This year I've been hitting longer irons into some of these holes because of the weather.

"The bottom line, though, is I didn't play very well - I was nine-over for the first 21 holes and that is pretty terrible golf really."

World number two McIlroy missed the cut here for the second season running after compiling a 75 for 149, five over.

"I'm looking forward to playing some golf where I'm not in four layers of clothing," the Northern Irishman said.

"But that's not really an excuse - I just didn't play well."