SOUTH AFRICAN Louis Oosthuizen, the Irish Amateur Strokeplay champion in 2002, stormed into a three-stroke half-way lead at the Qatar Masters yesterday — and then pinpointed a new calm demeanour as the secret to his recent success.

The 26-year-old made a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 to top the second-round leaderboard on 12 under after dislodging former champion Andrew Coltart, whose solid 69 left the Scot a shot clear of Spanish youngster Alvaro Quiros (67) and Australia’s Brett Rumford (69).

Damien McGrane continued his good work with a second 69 that left him six shots off the pace on 138. Gary Murphy and Rory McIlroy also made the weekend cut but missing will be Darren Clarke, who missed out by two, after a second 73, Peter Larwie on 147 after a 72 and Paul McGinley on 148.

Murphy shot a 71 for 142 while McIlroy qualified on the cut of 144 after a 68 that included six birdies and just two dropped shots.

Oosthuizen, a five-time winner on his native Sunshine Tour, narrowly missed out on a maiden European Tour title last week in nearby Abu Dhabi. He finished runner-up there, after beginning his year with a 10th-place finish at the Joburg Open.

But after battling wet afternoon conditions at Doha Golf Club, which eased later in the day, Oosthuizen picked up four shots in five holes around the turn.

Oosthuizen, 82nd in the world, said: “I’m used to being very aggressive on the course, taking on every shot. I now try to stick with it, knowing I can make 20-footers for birdies so I just get myself into position on the green.

“I had a very big temper about two or three years back because I was frustrated that I was not playing better, but now I handle myself much more and I’m definitely having more fun.

“I’ve been working with Pete Cowan, my coach, and we are going forward and forward with my swing. With Pete I struggled putting-wise a few years back and I worked a lot on that and got much better and became much more consistent, so I don’t need to be too aggressive.”

Coltart was content with his “scrappy” second round, which followed his opening six-under 66, and will again look to come from behind over the weekend as he did in 1998 when he claimed the inaugural Pearl trophy.

“I’m pleased. There is always a question whether you can follow up a low round and I think I managed it,” said 38-year-old Coltart.

“I think if you go around that course and shoot under par you have done really well and off the back of the 66 I was proud of it.”

Miguel Angel Jimenez sits five adrift in fourth, with fellow overnight leader and 2006 champion Henrik Stenson in a group at six under, a shot clear of Ross McGowan who leapt up the leaderboard with a bogey-free 66.

Sergio Garcia, Robert Karlsson and Lee Westwood are all at four under, with defending champion Adam Scott well down the field a further three shots back.

American Ryder Cup player Boo Weekley, his compatriot Brandt Snedeker, Abu Dhabi winner Paul Casey, Justin Rose and Colin Montgomerie all missed the cut.

Earlier Montgomerie refused to comment on Jose Maria Olazabal’s decision to put himself forward for the 2010 Ryder Cup captaincy and jetted off to Dubai where the decision is expected to be made on Wednesday, before the Desert Classic begins a day later.

EUROPEAN TOUR QATAR MASTERS

(Doha GC, Doha, Qatar)

Second round (Irish in bold, British unless stated, par: 72) 132 - L Oosthuizen (Rsa) 67 65 135 - A Coltart 66 69 136 - B Rumford (Aus) 67 69, A Quiros (Spa) 69 67 137 -

MA Jimenez (Spa) 66 71 138 - R Pampling (Aus) 70 68, Damien McGrane (Irl) 69

69, C Nirat (Tha) 69 69, M Lafeber (Ned) 68 70, H Stenson (Swe) 66 72, P Broadhurst 68 70 139 - A Hansen (Den) 67 72, R McGowan 73 66, J Edfors (Swe) 72 67, A McLardy (Rsa) 70 69 140 - S Garcia (Spa) 70 70, R Dinwiddie 67 73, N Dougherty 68 72, P Hedblom (Swe) 69 71, A Wall 70 70, A

Baddeley (Aus) 68 72, R Karlsson (Swe) 68 72, R Finch 73 67, L Westwood 67

73 141 - C Schwartzel (Rsa) 69 72, M Carlsson (Swe) 70 71, P Hanson (Swe)

72 69, S Gallacher 72 69, N Fasth (Swe) 70 71, E Els (Rsa) 70 71, M Brier (Aut) 70 71, G Fdez-Castano (Spa) 69 72, T Levet (Fra) 71 70, J Randhawa (Ind) 71 70, B Dredge 74 67 142 - J Milkha Singh (Ind) 70 72, F Molinari (Ita) 72 70, H Otto (Rsa) 73 69, R Fisher 71 71, M Ilonen (Fin) 71 71, O Wilson 69 73, D Howell 71 71, S Dyson 72 70, Gary Murphy (Irl) 71 71, S Dodd 70 72, R Goosen (Rsa) 69 73 143 - M Lundberg (Swe) 72 71, R Jan

Derksen (Ned) 71 72, S Webster 72 71, A Scott (Aus) 73 70, J Sandelin (Swe)

68 75, S Hansen (Den) 72 71, S Strange (Aus) 72 71, J Haeggman (Swe) 73 70, M Siem (Ger) 72 71, M Kaymer (Ger) 71 72, Alexander Noren (Swe) 72 71, P Lawrie 72 71, T Bjorn (Den) 70 73, J Donaldson 70 73 144 - A Velasco (Spa) 76 68, D Willett 73 71, M Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 73 71, G Storm 72 72, P Larrazabal (Spa) 73 71, R Jacquelin (Fra) 71 73, Rory McIlroy (Irl) 76 68, J Lucquin (Fra) 71 73, G Bourdy (Fra) 73 71.

Missed the cut: 145 - D Lynn 70 75, M Brown (USA) 72 73, J Manuel Lara (Spa) 75 70, S Benson 70 75, P Casey 76 69, R Muntz (Ned) 72 73, A Forsyth 75 70, P Archer 71 74, R Green (Aus) 73 72, I Garrido (Spa) 74 71, M Foster 73 72, B Snedeker (USA) 72 73, G Havret (Fra) 71 74 146 - C Cevaer (Fra) 77 69, M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 72 74, J Kingston (Rsa) 74 72, C Montgomerie 71 75, R Gonzalez (Arg) 75 71, Darren Clarke (NIrl) 73 73, O Fisher 71 75, J Rose 74 72, D Dixon 70 76, P Marksaeng (Tha) 72 74 147 - A Haig (Rsa) 71 76, S Kjeldsen (Den) 72 75, P Johansson (Swe) 74 73, P Edberg (Swe) 74 73, S Drummond 75 72, Peter Lawrie (Irl) 72 75, T Jaidee (Tha) 76 71, B Weekley (USA) 74 73 148 - S Kapur (Ind) 72 76, Paul McGinley (Irl) 76 72 149 - F Aguilar (Chi) 74 75, L Slattery 75 74, S Prasad Chowrasia (Ind) 75 74, J Bickerton 73 76, K Ferrie 75 74 150 - D Vancsik (Arg) 74 76, M Erlandsson

(Swe) 76 74, R Echenique (Arg) 77 73, S Wakefield 78 72 151 - A Canete (Arg)

77 74, S Hurd 77 74 152 - G Orr 78 74 153 - M Jonzon (Swe) 76 77 154 - E Canonica (Ita) 71 83 155 - M Tunnicliff 78 77 160 - M Williams 81 79.

USPGA TOUR BOB HOPE CLASSIC

Second round (USA unless stated, par 72): At PGA West Nicklaus Course

124 - P Perez 61 63 126 - B Baird 63 63 129 - B Adamonis 67 62, D Fathauer 65 64, S Elkington (Aus) 65 64 130 - C Couch 67 63 131 - B Van Pelt 66 65, B Watson 62 69 132 - R Garrigus 67 65, M Weir (Can) 62 70, S Lowery 67 65, S Piercy 66 66, M Wilson 66 66 133 - J Maggert 66 67, L Glover 65 68 134 - N Green (Aus) 69 65, O Browne 66 68, S Ames (Can) 71 63 135 - R Palmer 70 65, M Laird (Sco) 67 68, M Brooks 69 66, A Cejka (Ger) 68 67 136 - W MacKenzie 70 66, J Bohn 66 70 137 - E Axley 69 68 138 - G Owen (Eng) 69 69 139 - D Johnson 68 71

At Bermuda Dunes GC

128 - C Stroud 65 63, J Dufner 63 65 131 - R Beem 66 65 132 - D Mathis 66 66, DJ Trahan 65 67 133 - M Kuchar 66 67, G Day 65 68, J Mallinger 66 67 134 - J Klauk 67 67, M Letzig 66 68, W Simpson 68 66 135 - C Wi (Kor) 68 67, B Lunde 67 68, B Gay 65 70 136 - K Duke 68 68 137 - C Campbell 66 71, J Senden (Aus) 67 70 138 - C Hoffman 72 66, M Calcavecchia 68 70, J Gore 70 68 139 - K Na 70 69, J Leonard 72 67, C Pavin 71 68 140 - R Gamez 70 70 141 - T Armour III 70 71 142 - M Miles 70 72, H Frazar 72 70 144 - B Davis (Eng) 72 72, J Oh (Kor) 71 73

At SilverRock

130 - V Taylor 63 67 132 - S Stricker 65 67 133 - J Merrick 68 65, D Toms 68 65 134 - S Marino 65 69 135 - B Estes 66 69, C Wittenberg 69 66, S Flesch 68 67, B Mayfair 68 67, C Beckman 68 67, T Clark (Rsa) 66 69 136 - K Triplett 67 69 137 - J Kelly 66 71, DA Points 71 66, N Watney 66 71, C Knost 69 68, J Quinney 71 66, T Petrovic 68 69, B Clampett 70 67 138 - D Wilson 67 71 139 - B Andrade 68 71, M Allen 68 71, J Huston 69 70 140 - G Chalmers (Aus) 69 71, S Verplank 69 71, F Couples 68 72 141 - J Nitties (Aus) 73 68 142 - J Lyle (Aus) 71 71 143 - J Ogilvie 70 73, D Hammond 72 71

At PGA West Palmer Course

127 - D Berganio Jnr. 63 64 128 - RS Johnson (Swe) 63 65, T Pernice Jnr. 65 63 131 - K Sutherland 64 67, C Kresge 68 63 132 - C DiMarco 64 68, R Imada (Jpn) 67 65, H Slocum 65 67, C Reavie 66 66, P Lonard (Aus) 65 67 133 - B Crane 63 70 134 - S McCarron 66 68, W Austin 66 68, R Price 64 70 136 - B Haas 68 68, B Quigley 68 68, M Goggin (Aus) 66 70, D Duval 68 68, T Hamilton 65 71, N Thompson 66 70 137 - B De Jonge 67 70, J Wagner 70 67, T Wilkinson (Nzl) 65 72 138 - B Bateman 68 70 139 - J Durant 73 66 140 - M Borchert 69 71, J Byrd 70 70 141 - B Bryant 70 71, N Begay III 69 72 142 - M Bettencourt 65 77