Justin Rose moved serenely into a one stroke lead at the halfway stage of the UBS Hong Kong on a day when Glasgow’s Scott Jamieson edged himself towards European Tour safety.
While Rose, the former US Open champion, eased into a one stroke advantage over Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard with a five-under 65 for a nine-under 131, Jamieson produced a late rally to fire a 67 and guarantee himself a cheque after making the cut with a two-under 138.
Jamieson, who came into the final regular event of the season at No 106th on the money list with only the top 110 safeguarding their playing rights on the European Tour, had made a flying start to his second round with a birdie at the second and an eagle at the third but a bogey on the eighth and a double-bogey on the 11th had the Cathkin Braes man flirting with the possibility of missing the cut. Jamieson upped the ante on the run-in, though, and birdied the 13th, 15th and 16th to clamber up the order.
Jamieson finished alongside Stirling’s Craig Lee, who also hit a 67, while Glasgow exile Simon Yates, is a stroke better off on 137. Chris Doak, the former Scottish PGA champion, will definitely be back at the qualifying school, however, as he concluded a trying season with another missed cut.
At the head of affairs, Rose believes a motivated Ian Poulter will be one of his biggest threats to claiming his eighth European Tour title
Poulter is just two shots off the lead after a 66 despite being without his regular caddie and only arriving in Hong Kong at 7pm on Wednesday following a well-documented rush from Florida to the far east to maintain his tour membership.
"Poulter is a past champion here is and he's on the leaderboard," Rose said. "He's always good when he's got something to prove and he's probably a dangerous guy now that he's outside the top 50 in the world, and I know that he'll be desperate to get back in it.
On the women’s scene, Pamela Pretswell finished as the leading Scot in a share of 13th after round one of the Ladies European Tour’s Hero Women’s India Open. On a tough day that led to only three players breaking par, Pretswell posted a two-over 74 and finished four shots behind early leader, Emily Kristine Pedersen.
In Taiwan, Catriona Matthew shares 11th place going into the weekend at the LPGA Fubon Championship. The Scot sits on a two-under 142, seven shots behind halfway leader Eun-Hee Ji. Lydia Ko, the world No 2, is just a shot off the pace on 136.
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