Qatar Masters: With pre-tournament favourite Paul McGinley missing the cut, it was left to Gary Murphy to fly the Irish flag at the Qatar Masters as he grabbed a share of the halfway lead at Doha.

Murphy, a best-ever 59th on the European Tour last season, stepped up his bid for a first success with six birdies in the last 11 holes for a 67 to join four other players on the six-under mark of 138. They included 46-year-old Ian Woosnam whose last stroke-play victory was seven years ago, Scot Andrew Oldcorn, Japan's Nobuhito Sato and Frenchman Gregory Havret.

All 84 players still in the tournament, however, harbour hopes of the €201,596 first prize. Only five strokes separate the five pacesetters from those who made it on the cut mark - a European tour record.

Dubliner Peter Lawrie finished right on the 143 cut mark, but Damien McGrane (145), Graham Spring (146) and Graeme McDowell (147) all finished their interest in the tournament.

World number one for almost a full year after he won the US Masters in 1991, Woosnam now stands 211th in the rankings. But it was only last Sunday, of course, that 201st-placed Mark O'Meara, now 47, ended six years without a tour win at the Desert Classic with a one-shot victory over McGinley.

"I'm struggling to get to the par fives in two, but last week and this you haven't had to hit it long to do well," said Woosnam.

He has reverted to a long putter this week, and added: "It's made a big difference. I've had enough with the little one - it's depressing."

Woosnam rolled in putts of 10 and seven feet at the 11th and 14th, drove the green on the 306-yard 16th and then pitched to six feet on the last for his second successive 69.

Oldcorn, himself 44 at the end of this month, is playing only his second event of the year, but used his winter break to rededicate himself to the game.

The Edinburgh-based player admits he lost motivation after his dream victory in the 2001 Volvo PGA championship at Wentworth. "I was very disappointed I didn't make the Ryder Cup and then couldn't play for five months after hurting my back," he said. "But I think I relaxed - no doubt about it."

He dropped to 100th on the Order of Merit in 2002 and 105th last season, but said: "I've tried to up my attitude and up my incentive - as well as working hard to rid myself of a fault I've always had in my game."

Murphy shot the same two opening scores in Dubai last week, but fell away to 45th, while Havret is keen to make up for the disappointment of losing a play-off in the Dunhill championship in South Africa in January.

Sato, meanwhile, celebrated his 34th birthday with a 70 like Oldcorn, and then was presented with a cake by the tournament organisers.

No fewer than 14 players are just one stroke behind, and they include 2001 Walker Cup team-mates Richard McEvoy and Steven O'Hara, Spanish Open champion Kenneth Ferrie and the two players who are battling for a place in the Masters at Augusta next month - Brian Davis and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

But the Spaniard had other things on his mind. Dressed in black, he also wore black ribbons on his cap and his golf bag in memory of the victims of the Madrid bombings. A minute's silence will be held during the third round today.

Meanwhile, on the Champions Tour in the US, Des Smyth fired a flawless, three-under-par 69 to grab the early lead in the first round of the SBC Classic at Valencia Golf Club in California.

Sam Torrance, who shared the lead with Smyth while playing the last, double-bogeyed the final hole to finish at one under.(Irish in bold, British unless stated,

par 72, (x) denotes amateur)

138 - N Sato (Jpn) 68 70, G Havret (Fra) 70 68, A Olcorn 68 70, I Woosnam 69 69, G Murphy 71 67; 139 - R McEvoy 72 67, M A Jimenez (Spa) 71 68, B Davis 69 70, P Hedblom (Swe) 70 69, J Haeggman (Swe) 75 64, P Fulke (Swe) 68 71, E Canonica (Ita) 72 67, K Ferrie 72 67, M Jonzon (Swe) 70 69, P Marantz (Aus) 72 67, M Wiegele (Aut) 68 71, D Fichardt (Rsa) 70 69, J M Lara (Spa) 72 67, S O'Hara 69 70; 140 - M Fraser (Aus) 73 67, P Price 74 66, J Lomas 76 64, A Hansen (Den) 72 68, M Maritz (Rsa) 73 67, J-F Remesy (Fra) 71 69, J Moseley (Aus) 73 67, D Howell 71 69, R Jacquelin (Fra) 73 67, S Lyle 72 68, M Roe 73 67; 141 - J Van de Velde (Fra) 73 68, W Ormsby (Aus) 70 71, S Dodd 72 69, R-J Derksen (Ned) 74 67, B Rumford (Aus) 72 69, T Price (Aus) 69 72, P Broadhurst 68 73, M Blackey 68 73, D Borrego (Spa) 71 70, D Park 70 71, G Owen 70 71, J Sandelin (Swe) 69 72, T Levet (Fra) 70 71, M Lafeber (Ned) 72 69, R Chapman 70 71; 142 - A Raitt 73 69, I Pyman 70 72, T Jaidee (Tha) 72 70, I Garbutt 74 68, H Bjornstad (Nor) 72 70, P Hanson (Swe) 69 73, J Hepworth 71 71, J Kingston (Rsa) 72 70, S Gallacher 70 72, N Dougherty 74 68, W Bennett 71 71, M Foster 69 73, S Luna (Spa) 75 67, R Russell 72 70, S Hansen (Den) 72 70, R Gonzalez (Arg) 75 67, R Muntz (Ned) 69 73, C Cevaer (Fra) 72 70, R Rock 72 70; 143 - D Carter 73 70, Peter Lawrie 71 72, B Dredge 71 72, I Garrido (Spa) 71 72, C Schwartzel (Rsa) 72 71, F Andersson (Swe) 72 71, S Khan 71 72, J M Carriles (Spa) 74 69, S Little 72 71, R Green (Aus) 73 70, S Scahill (Nzl) 75 68, P Sjoland (Swe) 73 70, M Siem (Ger) 75 68, A Forsyth 70 73, P Nyman (Swe) 72 71, R Karlsson (Swe) 73 70, B Lane 72 71, P Lawrie 71 72, C Monasterio (Arg) 72 71, J Edfors (Swe) 73 70.

Missed the cut: 144 - M Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 73 71, Zhang Lian-wei (Chn) 74 70, P Fowler (Aus) 70 74, M Lemesurier 74 70, P O'Malley (Aus) 72 72, T Johnstone (Zim) 73 71, M Brier (Aut) 71 73, S Kjeldsen (Den) 75 69, M Tunnicliff 73 71, D Gilford 74 70, P Baker 71 73, J Clement (Swi) 72 72; 145 - J Donaldson 75 70, I Giner (Spa) 70 75, M Olander (Swe) 75 70, D Dixon 71 74, D McGrane 73 72, J-F Lucquin (Fra) 72 73, P Golding 74 71, M Eliasson (Swe) 76 69; 146 - R Sterne (Rsa) 71 75, C Rocca (Ita) 76 70, M Ilonen (Fin) 72 74, J Spence 73 73, G Holmes 75 71, G Spring 75 71, H Stenson (Swe) 76 70, P McGinley 72 74, G Birch 73 73, K Eriksson (Swe) 75 71; 147 - B Mason 76 71, T Srirot (Tha) 76 71, N Colsaerts (Bel) 74 73, G McDowell 76 71, S Drummond 75 72, A Wall 73 74, S Wakefield 72 75, L Oosthuizen (Rsa) 72 75, S Fernandez (Arg) 72 75; 148 C Gane 75 73, S Jeppesen (Swe) 78 70, A McLean 78 70, D Lynn 74 74, Joon Chung (Kor) 73 75, J Elson 74 74, R Bain 75 73; 149 - W Westner (Rsa) 75 74, R Coles 78 71, G Orr 73 76, M Erlandsson (Swe) 78 71, T Dier (Ger) 74 75, F Delamontagne (Fra) 76 73; 150 - A Marshall 79 71, S Webster 72 78, A Coltart 78 72, J Bickerton 77 73, T Whitehouse 76 74; 151 - D Gaunt (Aus) 74 77, L Bond 75 76, G Brand Jnr 71 80, J Huldahl (Den) 77 74; 153 - M Cort 76 77, (x) C Hughes 78 75; 154 - B Banks 78 76, T Wiratchant (Tha) 76 78

Retired - G Evans