Fab four under for Fisher

England’s Ross Fisher produced a second consecutive four-under-par 68 today to trail HSBC Champions second-round leader Kevin Stadler by three strokes at the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai.

World number two Phil Mickelson produced a stunning bogey-free, six-under-par second round and trailed fellow American Stadler by just one stroke – two ahead of Fisher and Scotland’s Simon Yates.

Yates tied Mickelson for the best round of the day with a run of three birdies over his last five holes as the duo benefited from calmer afternoon conditions in Shanghai.

Three-time major winner Vijay Singh and South African Andrew McLardy were a shot further adrift at seven under at the midway point of the showpiece event.

Paul Casey signed for a one-under-par second round courtesy of a birdie at the last to head a group which included defending champion Yang Yong-Eun of Korea, while Open champion Padraig Harrington and US Open champion Angel Cabrera remained four under after level-par second rounds in the testing morning conditions.

Liverpool’s Nick Dougherty turned in a two-under-par second round to move to three under overall, but Lee Westwood slipped back to level par after a 74 on Friday.