Monty maintains Shanghai momentum

Montgomerie, whose ranking has slid to 31, has made a solid start

SECOND ROUND LEADERBOARD
(GB&Ire unless stated)
-9 R Jacquelin (Fra)
-6 S Lee (Kor)
-5 S Kjeldsen (Den), M Jimenez (Spa), J Backstrom (Swe), S Hend (Aus), C Montgomerie
Selected others:
-4 S Dyson
-3 K Sullivan
-2 E Els (SA), D Griffiths, S Wakefield
-1 P Casey
+1 R Goosen (SA)

Colin Montgomerie's hopes of a first European Tour win since December 2005 remained on track at the Asian Open on Friday thanks to a second-round 70.

The Scot mixed two birdies with two bogeys on the front nine and then eagled 15 to improve to five under.

He is now in a five-way tie for third, one adrift of Korean Sung-man Lee and four behind leader Raphael Jacquelin.

But the day's big mover was Welshman Kyron Sullivan, who fired a six-under 66 to reach three under for the event.

It could have been even better for the 30-year-old European Tour rookie, who opened with a 75 on Thursday, as he double-bogeyed the last when an unlikely eagle would have seen him equal Ernie Els' course record of 62.

I just needed a couple more putts to go in and it would have been a really good day Paul Casey

"On the last I got a flyer with an eight iron, duffed my chip and three-putted. It was a shame," said Sullivan.

Montgomerie - who shares third with Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen, Spanish veteran Miguel Angel Jimenez, Joakim Backstrom of Sweden and Australian Scott Hend - was happy with his position after 36 holes at the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club.

"It's all to play for at the weekend," the eight-time European Order of Merit winner said.

"The eagle on the 15th helped. I'm in touch and moved up from sixth to third, so that's good."

On shot behind Montgomerie is England's Simon Dyson, who carded a second straight 70. The 29-year-old Yorkshireman has a great record at the course - second, fifth and 14th in the last three years - and is well placed for the weekend.

Sullivan posted an eagle, six birdies and that final double-bogey

Paul Casey, another 29-year-old Englishman, improved his first-round showing of 72 by one shot to move to one under par but was still frustrated by his display.

"I just needed a couple more putts to go in and it would have been a really good day, simple as that," the world number 12 said.

"I gave myself a lot of chances, but it's a difficult golf course and I'm going to try and take the positives out of it."

Els, who won this event the year he set the course record in 2005, also encountered problems on the greens. The South African, who finished at two under, said: "I'm just not making any putts out there.

"My pace on the greens has been out for some reason. It's a little frustrating. I'm playing okay, just not scoring."

David Griffiths is level with Els after the 26-year-old bagged five birdies in a round of 69, with Simon Wakefield, another young English talent, on the same total after a second-round 70 to go with his opening 72.

World number eight Retief Goosen made the cut by a shot after finishing one over par, but John Daly will not feature at the weekend.

The American carded 76 to go with his first-round score of 79 to finish 11 over par.

"I had nowhere to hit the golf ball," Daly said.

"The fairways were too narrow for me. Anything over 260 yards, you don't have a chance."