European Tour:Surprise packet Kevin Stadler and pre-tournament favourite Phil Mickelson flew the Stars and Stripes in China as the American duo emerged as the main men at the halfway stage of the HSBC Champions tournment.
Padraig Harrington mixed two birdies with two bogeys in halves of 36 for a level par round of 72 and a halfway total of four-under-par 140 - seven behind Stadler.
Stadler, the 27-year-old son of 1982 Masters tournament winner Craig, carded a steady second round 69 at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai to add to his sparkling opening 64 for an 11-under-par total of 133 and a one-shot lead over World number two Mickelson, who tacked a 66 onto his opening 68 for a 10-under-par total of 134.
Ross Fisher, the KLM Open champion, fired a second consecutive four-under-par 68 yesterday to share third place with Scotland's Simon Yates at the midway point of the $5 million event.
Fisher is riding a current run of form which has earned a seventh-place 17-under-par finish at the Portugal Masters last month and a 14th place at the season-ending Volvo Masters last week after sharing the lead heading into the final round at the BMW PGA Championship in May.
"I don't feel like I am at the top of my game like I was in Dubai and over the first three days at Wentworth and in Holland, but over the last few weeks things have been pretty good," said Fisher, who admitted he was glad to be back in China, the scene of his European Tour debut at the 2005 Volvo China Open - an event he led for the first three days.
"In Portugal I turned up and I wasn't hitting the ball very well over the first two day. But I then went out and shot some good scores and that gave me confidence going into Valderrama.
"I felt I played pretty well there and to finish 10-over and finish 14th was pretty pleasing. So when I came here I had pretty good expectations, I felt like my game was getting there.
"I think whereas before I would turn up each week trying to win, now after winning, I know I can do it. I turn up now wanting to win and believing that I can win," he added.
Asia-based Yates stormed up the leaderboard with seven birdies and a solitary bogey at the par-four 10th - a round which included a run of four birdies over his last five holes to finish, a feat also matched by Mickelson.
Leading Scores
(Irish in bold, British unless stated, par 72)
133 - K Stadler (USA) 64 69
134 - P Mickelson (USA) 68 66
136 - R Fisher 68 68, S Yates 70 66
137 - V Singh (Fij) 67 70, A McLardy (Rsa) 68 69
139 - P Casey 68 71, S Webster 69 70, F Minoza (Phi) 69 70, Y Yang (Kor) 71 68, N Fasth (Swe) 64 75, L Oosthuizen (Rsa) 71 68
140 - B Rumford (Aus) 69 71, A Cabrera (Arg) 68 72, H Stenson (Swe) 70 70, R Sterne (Rsa) 68 72, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 68 72
141 - N Green (Aus) 73 68, W Liang (Chn) 69 72, N Dougherty 71 70
142 - A Hansen (Den) 70 72, S Sterling (USA) 69 73, M Brier (Aut) 69 73, C Nirat (Tha) 69 73, JM Lara (Spa) 70 72
143 - S Hend (Aus) 69 74, M Ilonen (Fin) 74 69, R Goosen (Rsa) 69 74, S Kjeldsen (Den) 71 72, W Lin (Tai) 71 72
144 - E Els (Rsa) 75 69, L Zhang (Chn) 70 74, L Westwood 70 74, K Kim (Kor) 71 73, J Knutzon (USA) 71 73, J Randhawa (Ind) 70 74
145 - G Ghei (Ind) 70 75, H Otto (Rsa) 74 71, M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 73 72, C Schwartzel (Rsa) 73 72, J Senden (Aus) 73 72, D Vancsik (Arg) 70 75, S Garcia (Spa) 73 72, KJ Choi (Kor) 68 77
146 - R Pampling (Aus) 73 73, A Haig (Rsa) 77 69, B Vaughan (Rsa) 74 72, R Jacquelin (Fra) 71 75.
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