McDowell storms up leaderboard in China

Graeme McDowell joined fellow Ryder Cup debutant Oliver Wilson a shot adrift of HSBC Champions leaders Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia after third round play at the rain-affected event briefly got underway today in Shanghai following the earlier completion of the delayed second round.

World number two Garcia and Sweden's Stenson sit at the top of the leaderboard on 10-under-par after two rounds, with England's Wilson a shot further back after signing for a second round four under-par 68 at a damp Sheshan International Golf Club.

Following a flawless second round 65, McDowell was one of only a handful of players to begin their third rounds before bad light stopped play, but the world number 33 used the opportunity to join Wilson at nine-under after picking up a solitary birdie over four holes.

"My game wasn't firing at all cylinders at the weekend at Valderrama and on Thursday I didn't hit in particularly well," said McDowell.

"I had a bit of work on the range to do and despite the rain I managed to get some work done yesterday morning and Thursday evening and I definitely hit it much better."

Tournament organisers have confirmed the first event on the 2006 European Tour schedule and first on the new lucrative Race to Dubai, will be played over 72 holes, with the leaders set to complete their fourth rounds on Monday following a three-hour delay this morning following torrential overnight rain.

Stenson, who began the day at the top of leaderboard after carding a first round seven-under-par 65 on Thursday before yesterday's play was completely washed out, produced a solid three-under 69.

"I had a great first round. I have been struggling with my scoring a little bit lately so it was good to get that one in," he said.

"Then there was a long wait to get out there again, but I was pleased with my scoring this afternoon. I was still putting pretty good and I played mainly three woods to keep the ball in play and I hit some good approaches and was plodding along and making the odd birdie so it has been good."

Garcia maintained his bid to overtake Phil Mickelson as world number two with a bogey-free 68 as the Spaniard picked up all four strokes on his back nine courtesy of an eagle and two late birdies.
 
"I stayed pretty patient, had a lot of pars and I looked like I wasn't going to birdie. The good thing was I was not making any bogeys," said the winner of this year's Players Championship.

"It was a solid round but it could have been different if I had made a couple of birdies earlier but at the end of the day, it was still a nice solid round."

Defending champion Mickelson sits at eight-under after a second round 70, while former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy (65), fellow Australian Scott Strange (68) and South Africa's Andrew McLardy (69) are also two shots off the lead after starting their third rounds before play was suspended.

Pádraig Harrington completed his second round in two-under-par and is five shots behind the leaders on five-under. Damien McGrane shares the same mark after he signed for a 71, while Peter Lawrie is a shot further back after a level-par 72.

Darren Clarke did get his third round underway, but probably wished he had stayed in the clubhouse. Three bogeys in his first four holes pushed him out to two-over before he birdied the 14th, his fifth, to close on one-over-par after six holes.