Reuters – England’s Nick Dougherty and David Howell shared the halfway lead at the HSBC Champions Tournament at Sheshan International Golf Club, two shots clear of World Number One Tiger Woods and Australian left hander Nick O’Hern.
Joint overnight leader Dougherty fired a four under par 68 to add to his opening 64 and Howell carded a blemish free 67 in the rain to go to 12 under par on 132 at the $5 million event in Shanghai, China.
Woods stayed within striking distance at ten under par with a three under par 69 that left him tied for third with O'Hern, who shot a 67 in his challenge to win his first European Tour title.
"I'm not kidding myself that I'm anywhere near as good as Tiger but who knows?" said Howell. "I've got to shoot another two 67s. It's in my own hands."
Dougherty admitted that his decision to sort out his personal life had made a huge difference to his golf. He said: "I knew I had to change. I went away in the winter, I broke up with my girlfriend, I lost all the things around me that were really, really good and she was one of the massive ones..
"She broke up with me because I was an idiot. She gave me everything I could ever ask for and in return I gave her nothing. Vicky gave me another chance, which is more than I deserved, I feel very fortunate and she's very proud that she's helped me make a lot of these changes.”
Woods made four birdies but struggled with his short game in the drizzly gloom at Sheshan International Golf Club. He bogeyed the 16th after failing to clear a greenside bunker chipping from the rough and had to make a miraculous save at the par five 18th after finding water with his second shot.
In contrast, another Englishman, Kenneth Ferrie, carded a hole-in-one with a four iron from 193 yards at the sixth and led for much of the second round until bogeys on the 17th and 18th forced him to settle for a 69 and a five way tie for fifth place.
But this year's Smurfit European Open winner was furious with himself for errors at the last two holes that cost him the lead in Asia's richest ever tournament.
"The hole-in-one was a good shot but hole-in-ones are just lucky," shrugged Ferrie. "It wasn't an impressive finish. I know I've left a bundle of shots out there. But a round of golf involves playing 18 holes so no matter what I did earlier it wasn't an impressive finish. To my mind, it was an impressive nine holes but not an impressive round of golf."
Paul Casey of England (68), Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen (70), China's Zhang Lian-wei (68) and Thai Thaworn Wiratchant (68) were also at nine under with Ferrie.
Casey, who partnered Ferrie and shared in the congratulations at his ace, was satisfied with his round. He said: "It was a nice finish with two birdies. Halfway through the round when it was raining heavily I thought it was going to be a day when two or three under would be a really good score.
"So to shoot four under was great and I'm very happy with 68 for nine under. The key was to get into position for the weekend. It's a strong-looking leaderboard with lots of English guys up there and the scoring is better than I thought it would be."
Fiji's World Number Two Vijay Singh was a further stroke off the pace after a 69 along with US Open champion Michael Campbell of New Zealand, who had a 70.
Joint overnight leader Paul Lawrie slipped up with a 75, leaving the 1999 Open Champion seven strokes adrift at five under. Fellow Scot Colin Montgomerie fared only slightly better after his opening round 74, double bogeying the last in a 71 to leave the European Number One at one over.
