Lawrie Enjoys Grace in Doha

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Peter Lawrie is the leading Irish man at the Qatar Masters after a second-round score of 68. Lawrie now sits joint-fourth on the leaderboard just three shots of current leadersGeorge Coetzee, Bernd Wiesberger and Branden Grace.

Lawrie, playing in Doha on a sponsor’s invitation after just missing out on his card at qualifying school, opened with a confident opening round of 70 on Wednesday and replicated yesterday’s birdies on the first and 18th holes on Thursday, while he also struck on the fourth, seventh, ninth and tenth.

Bogeys on the fifth and 15th the only blotches on his card for the day. Michael Hoey is next best of the Irish on three under while Damien McGrane shot a level par round of 72 and is currently five shots off the lead.

Coetzee, Wiesberger and Grace may share the lead at the halfway stage but Marc Warren was the biggest mover. Coetzee improved on his opening-day 68 by a single stroke after mixing six birdies with a bogey in Doha while Wiesberger joined him on nine-under with a round of 66.

The Austrian - seeking his first European Tour win since 2012 - holed back-to-back birdies across four holes on the back nine to finish strongly and Grace’s measured four-under 68 steered him into a three-way tie for first place by Thursday evening. All one stroke behind the leading trio are Emiliano Grillo, An Byeong-hun and Scotland’s Warren, whose emphatic 65 lifted him from the mid-50s and right into trophy contention.

The highlight of the 33-year-old’s round was an eagle on the par-five first hole with only bogeys on three and 17 sullying the effect of seven more birdies around the Doha Golf Club course. Overnight leader Oliver Fisher of England slipped to 10th after following up his Wednesday score of 65 with a one-over-par 73 that included three bogeys and two birdies.

Also in the mix were Darren Fichardt, Richard Green and Alejandro Canizares but defending champion Sergio Garcia was struggling to break through after signing for a second consecutive 69. Justin Rose could only follow his opening-day score of 68 with a 73 after carding four bogeys across five holes on the back nine.

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Three Irish Remain in BMW Race

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Shane Lowry signed for a round of 68 and Michael Hoey 69 to remain three shots off the pace set by the four joint leaders at the BMW International Open in Cologne on Friday.

Lowry carded five birdies with only the one bogey on the par four 10t with Hoey mixing a triple bogey seven on the first hole, and three bogeys to damage a nine birdie. 

Damien McGrane shot 71 to make the cut at four-under- par.

Gareth Maybin, Kevin Phelan, Paul McGinley, Peter Lawrie and Simon Thornton missed the cut.

Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Pablo Larrazabal were joined at the head of the leaderboard on 12-under- par by 2012 BMW International Open champions Danny Willett and Argentina's Emiliano Grillo.

Six players, including Miguel Angel Jimenez were on 10-under-par, and Hoey and Lowry finished in a group of eight sitting just three shots back on nine under.

Martin Kaymer missed the cut by four shots on level-par 142.

Fellow German Marcel Siem looked like he might also miss the cut until a final flourish where he birdied five of the last six holes to not only make the cut but also force his way into contention at eight-under-par with a 66.

Of the leaders, Larrazabal made the greatest gain with a nine under par 63 to reach 12-under 132, a 36 hole total matched by Grillo with a 66, and the two overnight leaders Cabrera-Bello and Willett who shot matching 68s.

Cabrera-Bello had the misfortune of a double-hit out of the rough on the par five seventh hole, his 16th, but 68 kept him on track.

Willett, who was playing alongside Cabrera-Bello, then had to avoid calamity of his own shortly after – as they closed on the ninth – when he horribly shanked his approach.

The Englishman was lucky to clear water away to his right as his ball nestled near the 18th green. He pitched back over the lake to scramble par and stay level with Cabrera-Bello.

"I'm pleased with my score but more pleased with the way I played. I felt I played really well today. I was a little unlucky coming down the last few holes but overall pleased with minus four," said Cabrera-Bello.

David Higgins was a withdrawal in round 2.

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