Big opportunity knocks for McIlroy as Westwood slips

RORY McILROY has an opportunity to take the lead in the Race to Dubai as main rival Lee Westwood struggles with his putting in the UBS Hong Kong Open.

Westwood managed just one birdie in round of a level par 70 that included 33 putts on the grainy Hong Kong course greens.

McIlroy had one less putt but moved two strokes clear of his European number one rival in carding two under par 68 for a six under par tally.

McIlroy and Peter Lawrie, who also signed-off for a 68, share the leading Irish honours.

Four players – Frenchman Gregory Bourdy (67), South African Charl Schwartzel (66), Dutchman Robert Jan Derksen (68) and Taipei’s defending champion Wen-chong Liang (65) – share the lead on nine under par.

McIlroy was not happy either in managing only three birdies in a round that included 32 putts.

“My problems have been the way I have been reading the grain of the greens late in the day and not my putting stroke,” he said.

“I have been happy with the way I have been striking the putts, and it’s just getting the grain right.

“But there’s one thing you don’t want to be doing and that is changing your putting stroke.”

However, the Holywood golfer was not near as frustrated as Westwood, who is competing in Hong Kong for a first occasion.

“Tee to green I am pretty good but the greens are a complete mystery to me,” said Westwood.

“I can’t pick a line, can’t get the speed, and it’s just a massive disadvantage being here for my first time.

“I haven’t putted on greens like these for goodness knows how long, and the last thing I want to be doing is changing my putting stroke to a ‘poppy’ stroke in order to cope with these greens. That’s my big concern with two rounds left here in Hong Kong. There’s too much at stake in next week’s last Race to Dubai event to be doing that but I’m just baffled by the greens.”

Lawrie’s round was a mixture of five birdies and an opening hole bogey that has him well placed in a goal to capture just a second Tour victory.

“It was tough out there as the ball was flying nowhere after all the rain the night before, while it was also pretty cold, and that’s something I thought I would never say playing here in Hong Kong,” he said.

“But my wife said to me this week would be a good practice week for Dubai but this could be my best chance, as I’ve heard the Dubai course is very long with no rough, so I’ll have a better chance here in Hong Kong.”

Darren Clarke birdied three holes in succession twice over his outward half but once again the shortest club in his bag again provided the biggest heartache.

Clarke dropped three shots over the first four holes of his inward nine before managing just one further birdie, at his 17th. “Yet again I got it going early but my four under par score could easily have been eight or nine under,” he said.

“But that’s my own fault, as I managed to get a bit of momentum going and then I throw it away and I’ve done that all year.”

Clarke is lying 63rd on the Race to Dubai money list and needs to finish top 15 at worst in Hong Kong to be assured of competing next week in Dubai.

And Shane Lowry rounded off his seven months as a European Tour pro a disappointing note in carding a 78 for a 10-over par tally.

Lowry has one remaining event this year and that’s next week’s Dunlop Phoenix Open in Japan.

Meanwhile Gary Murphy has kept alive hopes of retaining 2010 Race to Dubai Tour membership in making the cut in the Australian Masters in Melbourne.

Murphy added a one-over par 73 in windy conditions to his first round 71 in a level par tally to easily make the three over par halfway cut in the co-sanctioned Australasian and European Tour event.

“It was a real struggle out there today as the wind got up and made club selection difficult, plus the greens dried out quickly,” he said. “So it was like putting on glass out there.’ he said.

The lone Irish player in the field started the day poorly with bogeys on the third and fourth holes before a birdie at eight.

But Murphy then dropped two more shots at the ninth and 11th holes before managing to turn his fortunes round with a superb 30-yard up-and-down from a bunker at the par four 12th hole to save par.

He pared the 13th before a second up-and-down from a bunker for birdie at the 14th.

Murphy guaranteed his place over the weekend when he hit his approach at the 15th to six feet and holed the putt for a second straight birdie.

“I was three over and struggling but the back-to-back birdies done the trick. I am really pleased,” he said.

Murphy arrived in Melbourne 127th on the Race to Dubai money list and €30,000 shy of breaking into the top 15 to ensure he avoids a first visit to Tour Q-School in seven years.

World No. 1 Tiger Woods heads the co-sanctioned event by three strokes on 10-under par.