Byrne has ‘machine’ Westwood in sights

BANCHORY’S James Byrne produced one of the best rounds of his fledgling professional career on the second day of the Indonesian Masters but felt he was trying to catch a “machine” heading into the final two rounds of the Asian Tour event, writes Martin Dempster.

The 23-year-old catapulted himself up the leaderboard at Royale Jakarta Golf Club after a bogey-free five-under-par 67 for a four-under-halfway total. He was sitting in a tie for eighth, seven shots behind clubhouse leader Lee Westwood, when the second round was abandoned due to lightning.

“I played really well today,” said Byrne on his Twitter account. “I will need to keep that going and more to catch Westwood, though. He’s a machine.”

The Walker Cup player, who had started the day in a tie for 44th, birdied the first, eighth and ninth to be out in 33 then picked up shots at the 11th and 18th.

Westwood battled heat and humidity to retain his place at the top of the leaderboard with a blemish-free 68. “It was very hot and humid early on and I suffered with that a little bit,” said the Englishman. “It is just one of those things where it can be so hot that you can’t replenish the fluids. That’s Asia for you. I’m going to have to fluid up this afternoon.”