McIlroy in pole position for biggest prize

RORY McIlroy still leads the race for golf’s biggest first prize of £1.25million after the second round of the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters.

Northern Ireland’s US Open champion, who refused to speak about his management switch after his opening 64, added a 69 today 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 Padraig Harrington is tied fifth with Hunter Mahan. Joint seventh are Ian Poulter and Robert Karlsson. 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 had a good back nine. To shoot four birdies kept me going and I will try hard to keep hitting the birdies needed to win this weekend.”

In Malaysia, meanwhile, Swede Fredrik Jacobson and American Jeff Overton share the halfway lead at the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic. 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 PGA Tour-sanctioned event. But Overton had the round of the day – a nine-under 62 with seven birdies and an eagle two on the driveable 15th.