GOLF:LUKE DONALD faces a tough task to retain his Madrid Masters title after a poor finish to his second round at El Encin Golf Hotel yesterday. Donald looked set for a second consecutive 68, or better, after playing his first 15 holes in four under par with five birdies coming after a bogey on the second.
But the world number one then dropped a shot on the 16th after missing the green with his tee shot and fluffing a chip, while another shot went when he surprisingly three-putted the par-five 18th from short range. A round of 70 left Donald on six under par for the tournament, five shots behind England’s Lee Slattery, who added a 66 to his opening 67.
Slattery lost his card by just €80 in 2007 and at 136th on The Race to Dubai faces another nervy end to the season. He carded seven birdies and one bogey yesterday, bouncing back from his only dropped shot at the 12th with a monster birdie putt on the 14th.
“I got off to a good start, I was two under early and just kept it together and had a nice finish, birdied the last two holes,” Slattery said.
“It’s mainly down to putting. I putted very well today, seemed to hole everything. I drove the ball well. On this course you can give it a good smack off the tee and you feel yourself trying to hit it harder and harder. I was actually getting too cautious with my game but round here you can’t be, you just whack it. This suits me because I just enjoy it and don’t think too much – that’s the key.”
Slattery enjoyed a one-shot lead over Italy’s Francesco Molinari and Spain’s Eduardo de la Riva, who both carded second consecutive rounds of 67.
Northern Ireland’s Gareth Maybin remained on three under after a level-par 72, while Damien McGrane (72) and Paul McGinley (70) are a shot further back.
WORLD NUMBER three Rory McIlroy remained in the hunt to win his first title since the US Open triumph in June as he took a share of the five-way lead at the halfway stage of the Korea Open.
He finished the day tied for a three-shot lead with Korea’s defending champion YE Yang, his compatriot Mo Joong-kyung, Australia’s Bronson La’Cassie and American Rickie Fowler after the second round.
McIlroy, who finished third at the tournament in 2009, followed up his opening round 68 with a two-under 69.
The Holywood golfer, who followed back-to-back third-place finishes at the European Masters and Dutch Open with a runner-up spot at last week’s Dunhill Links Championship, believes he is well poised to end the wait.
“It was a good round. I felt it could have been lower, but I played solid golf and holed some nice putts,” the 22-year old said after hitting five birdies and three bogeys in the day.
