Donald rues late lapses

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, five shots behind England’s Lee Slattery, who added a 66 to his opening 67. Slattery lies in 136th spot on The Race to Dubai and faces a 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.

Slattery enjoys a one-shot lead over Italy’s Francesco Molinari and Spain’s Eduardo de la Riva, who both carded second consecutive rounds of 67.

Molinari said: “It was a good solid round, I’m hitting the ball better than I was this summer.”

Gary Maybin is the best of the Irish on 141, following his opening 69 with a 72 yesterday, while Damian McGrane and Paul McGinley are on 142.

Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy shot a second-round 69 to end the day in a five-way share of the lead at the halfway mark of the Kolon Korea Open.

Starting the day one shot off the pace, McIlroy carded five birdies and three bogeys at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club to finish five under par alongside overnight leaders Rickie Fowler and YE Yang, with Moo Jung-kyung and Bronson La’Cassie completing the quintet.

“It was a good round. I felt it could have been lower but I played solid golf and holed some nice putts,” the Irishman said.