Brilliant Spain storm to four-shot World Cup lead
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Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and Pablo Larrazabal stormed to a four-shot lead at the 54th World Cup of Golf after carding a remarkable nine-under-par 63 in the second round in China.
Australia's team was well placed in second position.
Playing the more difficult foursomes format, evergreen Jimenez and his European Rookie of the Year partner scored like it was fourballs, scooping eight birdies and an eagle with just one bogey to move to 17 under for the $US5.5 million ($8.4 million) tournament.
"I think at one moment that maybe we could break 60 the way we started," world number 20 Jimenez told reporters.
"We played very well. We complemented each other very well and enjoyed ourselves on the golf course, and that's very important."
Australians Richard Green and Brendan Jones also gelled well on the first day of alternate shot play, but will rue a bogey at the last which left them with a 68 and a share of second place with overnight leaders Germany.
"It's a very tough format," said Jones. "So I think this round of the Spanish team today was just amazing."
The German pairing of Alex Cejka and Martin Kaymer had a couple of early bogeys to drop down the leaderboard but rallied with three birdies on a flawless back nine to stay in the hunt with a 69.
Swedes Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson, the highest ranked players in the 28-team field, were also reasonably well placed at the halfway stage after a 67 left them in fourth, five shots off the pace.
- Reuters
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