Francesco Molinari still the man to catch in China
Francesco Molinari's love affair with China's finest golf courses continues, the Italian currently topping the leaderboard in Shanghai after today's second round - while new world No. 1 Lee Westwood remains just a stroke off the pace.
Having risen to prominence at last year's World Cup in Shenzen with his elder brother Edoardo, where the pair saw off Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy to take victory, Francesco was in similarly outstanding form at Sheshan International on Thursday, taking the lead at the WGC HSBC Champions as he came home seven-under-par 65.
The 27-year-old couldn't quite maintain that momentum today, with four birdies and two bogeys seeing him finish the round two-under for a total of nine-under for the tournament. That score was matched by England's Westwood, who slotted away three birdies and a bogey to stay a shot behind his Ryder Cup teammate.
Ernie Els moved up to third place with a strong seven-under-par performance that saw the South African hit eight birdies and a bogey. Also tied for third place was Scotland's Richie Ramsay, who shot four-under, and South Africa's Jaco Van Zyl, who enjoyed a six-under-par round - despite starting off, on the back nine, with three bogeys in the first six holes. After that the birdies came thick and fast however, Van Zyl having carded seven by the time he made it to the par five 8th - which he eagled. Van Zyl is seven-under for the tournament.
Luke Donald lies in sixth place on six-under, while Seung-Yul Noh and Ross Fisher were tied for seventh place on five-under. Of the other big names in the mix, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are both tied for ninth place on four-under-par, along with Ireland's Padraig Harrington and England's Ian Poulter amongst others.
Woods had a frustrating round after a decent opener on Thursday, the 34-year-old managing five birdies and bogeys apiece, but for all that he's just five shots off the lead. The same can be said of Mickelson, who finished one-under today after carding five birdies and four bogeys.
Meanwhile, Harrington waited until the last moment to salvage something from a day that had promised little, eagling the 18th to finish two-under, after his three birdies had been wiped out by the same number of bogeys.
And Martin Kaymer climbed the table, coming home three-under-par yesterday - and so three-under for the tournament, elevating himself to a tie for 18th place. He shares that place with Italy's Matteo Manassero, the 17-year-old who won his first European Tour event last month and looks capable of becoming a significant presence in world golf in the next few years.
Two of Northern Ireland, and lately the world's most feted players have proven somewhat underwhelming so far this week, with Rory McIlroy, two-under for the tournament, tied for 25th place while Graeme McDowell was one-over and tied for 47th place.
But South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen, who won this summer's Open Championship at a canter, had a bafflingly poor round today, despite a decent start on Thursday. Oosthuizen was three-under after yesterday's opener, but five bogeys and a pair of double bogeys (together with one birdie) saw him finish the round eight-over, to slump to a tie for 62nd place on the leaderboard at five-over for the tournament.
Tags: