SHANGHAI, Oct 22: Playing partners Eiji Mizoguchi of Japan and Australian Terry Pilkadaris pushed each other into the top two places at the halfway stage of Shanghai's the Crowne Plaza Open on Friday.
Taking advantage of better playing conditions in the morning, the Japanese, sitting at nine-under-par 135, leads Pilkadaris by one shot after the pair recorded matching three-under-par 69s in the 200,000 US dollar event.
Overnight leader Somkiat Srisanga of Thailand and Australian Anthony Summers are tied third on 138 with Gerald Rosales of the Philippines another stroke adrift in the quest for the Asian Tour event's 32,300 US dollar first prize.
The leading Chinese player in the tournament at the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club, in Shanghais east, is Xiang Xiao-xuan tied for 24th place at even-par 144. All those players, except Somkiat, played in the morning and enjoyed the best of the conditions on a day when gusty winds returned to the levels of earlier in the week.
The story of the afternoon was a superb round from local hope Shang Lei, who reeled off a 67. The 23-year-old from Beijing, one of the 45 Chinese players in the field, recorded five birdies on his way to the low round of the day, a remarkable effort given not one other player broke par in the afternoon session. He is at two-over, tied for 45th.
Leading second round scores:
135 - Eiji Mizoguchi (JPN) 66-69
136 - Terry Pilkadaris (AUS) 67-69
138 - Anthony Summers (AUS) 66-72, Somkiat Srisanga (THA) 64-74
139 - Gerald Rosales (PHI) 67-72
140 - David Kang (KOR) 68-72, Boonchu Ruangkit (THA) 68-72, Craig Kamps (RSA) 67-73
141 - Marcus Both (AUS) 69-72, Alistair Presnell (AUS) 67-74
142 - Pat Giles (AUS) 71-71, Arjun Singh (IND) 71-71, Poh Eng Wah (SIN) 70-72
143 - Satoshi Tomiyama (JPN) 72-71, Danny Zarate (PHI) 71-72, Anthony Kang (USA) 68-75, Adam Fraser (AUS) 72-71, Wang Ter-chang (TPE) 71-72, Adam Groom (AUS) 69-74, Lam Chih Bing (SIN) 69-74, Derek Fung (HKG) 71-72, Mike Cunning (USA) 69-74, Kyi Hla Han (MYN) 67-76. -AFP
