Round-up: Chawalit Plaphol gave himself the ideal platform to go on to become the third Thai golfer - after Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant - to win a co-sanctioned event between The European Tour and the Asian Tour when he moved into a three-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Volvo China Open at the Shenzhen Golf Club yesterday.
The 31-year-old added a second round 67 to his opening course record 65 for a 12-under-par total of 132 and a three-shot lead over Frenchman François Delamontagne and England's Oliver Wilson, who carded 70 and 67 respectively for their totals of nine-under-par 135.
Peter Lawrie again leads the Irish challenge after a second round of level-par 72 that leaves him nine behind at 141, three under par. Gary Murphy also made the cut with a second round of 72 for 143 but David Higgins (73, 74), Michael Hoey (72, 73) and Damien McGrane (71, 78) missed out.
But the day belonged to Plaphol, lauded before the tournament started by Ryder Cup star Paul Casey as one of the Asian players to look out for.
And the Englishman's words certainly had a prophetic ring as the Thai golfer carded six birdies in total to make up for his solitary bogey of the day which came at the sixth where he missed the green with his approach shot.
Asian Open: Teenager Michelle Wie's attempt to make the cut in a men's tour event failed after she bogeyed her last two holes in the Casio World Open in Japan.
The 16-year-old, in only her second event since turning professional last month, carded a 75 to finish four over par and miss the cut by one shot.
Wie, in her sixth attempt to qualify for the weekend in a men's event, began the day at one over - five shots off the lead - and a birdie at the first raised hopes but she fell back by dropping shots at the next two holes. A birdie at the par-four fourth brought Wie back to level par for her round but further bogeys at the long seventh and the ninth sent her out in 38.
She picked up a shot at the par-five 10th to stand right on the cut line and regulation golf to the 16th put the Hawaiian in a great position to achieve her aim.
However, she dropped a shot at the 17th to increase the pressure and then bogeyed the par-five last to drop below the cut line.
Local players dominate the leaderboard with Mamo Osanai (71, 67), Taichi Teshima (69, 69), Toshimitsu Izawa (68 70) and Toru Suzuki (70, 68) tied for the lead on 138.
Australian Open: Robert Allenby moved four strokes clear of the field after recording an even-par 72 in the second round of the Australian Open in hot and windy conditions at Moonah Links near Melbourne.
The 34-year-old played a steady hand while many around him struggled to deal with the elements and he heads into the weekend on nine under, well ahead of world number eight Adam Scott, who carded a 73 to drop back to five under.
Rod Pampling, Aaron Baddeley and Nathan Green all shot 70 to finish four under, alongside John Senden (71) and Paul Sheehan (71).
Ireland's Eddie Barr missed the cut - which fell at five over - by a stroke after signing for a 77, while amateur champion Rory McIlroy also missed out after a 79, which left him on 11 over.
