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Strong finish helps McIlroy hold off Noh in Shanghai

GOLF DIGEST: SHANGHAI MASTERS: Rory McIlroy still leads the race for golf’s biggest first prize of €1

Sat Oct 29 2011 - 01:00

GOLF DIGEST:SHANGHAI MASTERS: Rory McIlroy still leads the race for golf's biggest first prize of €1.4 million after the second round of the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters.

The US Open champion, who refused to speak about his management switch after his opening 64, added a 69 yesterday to be 11 under par and two in front of 20-year-old Korean Noh seung-yul.

McIlroy was overtaken when he double-bogeyed the ninth, but collected birdies at the 11th, 13th, 15th and 18th.

Noh’s 63 swept him one ahead of third-placed pair Louis Oosthuizen and Anthony Kim, while Pádraig Harrington is tied fifth with Hunter Mahan and joint seventh are Ian Poulter and Robert Karlsson.

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Lee Westwood’s 70 left him six behind with Charl Schwartzel, Colin Montgomerie and John Daly.

McIlroy, in the water for his double bogey, said: “I liked the birdie on 18, and had a good back nine. To shoot four birdies kept me going after the double bogey on the ninth.

“On the ninth I hit my tee shot into the water and tried to make par to recover but ended up with a double.

“I know my 64 from yesterday has already been replaced by Noh and his 63, but I will try hard to keep hitting the birdies needed to win this weekend.”

Noh, having taken the day-old course record set by McIlroy, said: “I have hurt my ankle and have not been able to practice too much or swing as hard as I would like. I just decided to be careful, putted well and chose good options.”

ASIA PACIFIC CLASSIC:Swede Fredrik Jacobson and American Jeff Overton share the halfway lead at the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic in Malaysia.

Jacobson birdied five of the last seven holes at The Mines as he added a 64 to his opening 65 and reached 13 under par in the USPGA Tour-sanctioned event.

But Overton, yet to win on the circuit, had the round of the day — a nine-under 62 with seven birdies and an eagle two on the driveable 15th. They are one ahead of Bo Van Pelt, who matched Jacobson’s round, but there is then a three-stroke gap to the American trio of Mark Wilson, Stewart Cink and Jimmy Walker and Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas.

Overnight leader Robert Allenby fell six back, meanwhile, when he could manage only a 72, nine more than his first round. It was only one shot off the worst score of the day among the 48-strong field chasing a first prize of €918,000.