Australia's Brett Rumford produced a sensational birdie blitz to take a one-shot lead after the second round of the 2.5 million-dollar Qatar Masters here on Friday.
Australia's Brett Rumford produced a sensational birdie blitz to take a one-shot lead after the second round of the 2.5 million-dollar Qatar Masters here on Friday.
Taking advantage of surprisingly benign conditions at the Doha Golf Club, where winds caused havoc during Thursday's first round, Rumford sunk five birdies over the last nine holes to move ahead of Welshman Bradley Dredge, who had shared the lead with England's Oliver Wilson on 67 after the first round.
Rumford's six-under-par 66 gave him a total of 135, putting him one shot in front of Dredge, who fired a 69 on Friday.
European number one Lee Westwood of England, who missed the cut in Abu Dhabi, bounced back into form as he fired a 69 to add to his first-round 68 and share third spot with Wilson on seven-under 137.
Swedes Robert Karlsson and Niclas Fasth were a further shot behind on 138.
"I haven't really thought about it at all, being in the lead. I was just trying to do my own thing out there today. I didn't look at any scoreboard. I just was trying to do my own thing, and played nicely," Rumford said.
The Aussie owed much of his success over the first two rounds to his consistency while driving.
"My driving has been pretty good this week. Generally when I drive it well, I pretty much play well," he said.
"My driving was fairly consistent. Obviously the rough is very, very thick this year. It's probably the thickest I've seen it.
"It's very, very difficult, and the key to this golf course, particularly with these tight pins, is getting the ball into play, and I did that today."
Rumford, who has won three times on the European Tour, started off with a birdie but dropped a shot on the par-four fifth hole before rounding off the front nine with another birdie.
Then he hit a purple patch over the next nine holes, beginning with a birdie and picking up shots on the 13th, 15th, 17th and 18th to top the leaderboard.
Dredge hit five birdies and two bogeys while Wilson had two birdies in a round that saw him make 16 pars.
"Complete opposite to yesterday," Dredge said of his round. "Yesterday I thought level par was going to be a good score but today, with no wind really, I thought the course was there for the taking. I didn't play as well, but 69 I'm still pleased with."
Last year's Race to Dubai order of merit winner Westwood was pleased with his game but felt he could have done better than the 69 in calm conditions.
"I didn't hit it as good today as I did yesterday, but obviously conditions are a lot easier today. There was far less wind," said Westwood.
"Wasn't quite as good today, but you have days like that. I'm not a morning person. I didn't feel in as much control of my swing as I did yesterday.
"So it wasn't quite as good, but 69 is still a decent score around this golf course."
Overnight joint leader Wilson was left ruing a string of missed opportunities for birdie.
"I was satisfied yesterday, but I am not satisfied today," he said.
"I had so many chances; I just couldn't find the hole. I was a little confused with the greens and the slope and the pins were tougher today.
"It was getting frustrating, but it was nice to get something out of the round at the end."
European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie was four over and missed the cut, along with former major champions Michael Campbell of New Zealand and Todd Hamilton of the US.
© 2010 AFP/sid
