SHANGHAI -- Briton Paul Lawrie rode the
Shanghai wind to shoot a 2-under-par 70 and grab a share of
the Asian Open lead early in the second round on Friday.
With the wind stiffening and rain a possibility at the
Tomson Pudong Golf Course, the 1999 British Open winner was at 4 under in the $1.8
million event.
Overnight leader Henrik Stenson of Sweden, a late starter,
bogeyed the second to drop to a share of the lead with Lawrie
and fellow Scot Stephen Gallacher, who parred his first
hole.
Lawrie, starting from the 10th, birdied two of the last
three holes to earn a shared one-stroke advantage over four
players.
"It was tough for us as well out there," said the
37-year-old Scot. "The last nine holes out there (the wind)
started to pick up but it was a good day."
Jean van de Velde, the Frenchman who imploded on the final
hole of the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie to allow Lawrie to
claim victory in a playoff, dropped from an overnight share of
second with two bogeys in his first five holes.
Portugal's Jose-Filipe Lima also shot a 70 to share fourth
with Ireland's Peter Lawrie and later starters Marcus Fraser of
Australia and Frankie Minoza of the Phillipines at 3 under.
One of the top Asian challengers overnight at this
co-sanctioned event, South Korea's Charlie Wi, shot a 1-over
73 to drop off the leaderboard, but he remained upbeat.
"I'm playing well so feel good about my game," he said.
"(Lawrie) made a couple of birdies coming in and that's how he
did it, other than that he too found it quite difficult out
there."
Britain's six-time major winner Nick Faldo is likely to
have the weekend off after shooting a 5-over-par 77 to
finish at 7 over for his first two rounds.
Spain's Miguel-Angel Jimenez, the 2004 winner, fired a 75, leaving him 2 over for the tournament.