McGrane holds joint lead at China Open

Oliver Wilson and Damien McGrane were joint leaders by one stroke at the top of the Volvo China Open leaderboard midway through the third round today.

Wilson had started the day six under, two strokes behind overnight leader Michael Lorenzo-Vera.

But he made the ideal start today with a birdie on the first before picking up another shot on the short par-three third.

The 27-year-old then bogeyed the fourth but recovered on the next hole with another birdie and was eight under overall at the turn.

McGrane, meanwhile, climbed the leaderboard with three successive birdies from the third but then bogeyed the sixth and seventh to join playing partner Wilson with a share of the lead at the halfway stage.

Frenchman Lorenzo-Vera, who finished top of the leaderboard at the end of the last two rounds, was one stroke behind at seven under through nine.

The 23-year-old carded a bogey on the par-four second but then made par on the rest and will need to pick up shots on the inward nine.

Joost Luiten was climbing the leaderboard after carding three birdies through 12 and is six under, while Richard Finch was three strokes off the lead through nine after carding a birdie and three bogeys on the front nine.

David Howell finished one under par after carding double bogeys on the 17th and 18th and is even par overall.

It was a disappointing end to a round that had shown promise after the 32-year-old had carded a birdie on the par-four seventh and then an impressive four successive birdies from the 13th.