McIlroy leads the way

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Joint fifth after an opening 68 and two shots behind Order of Merit rival Lee Westwood, the 20-year-old Northern Irishman eagled the 572-yard seventh and birdied the first, second and ninth.

At nine under par McIlroy, leading the 'Race to Dubai' by more than £114,000 and trying to become the youngest European Tour number one since Seve Ballesteros in 1976, was one ahead of Westwood.

The 2000 money list winner had moved into a two-stroke lead by matching McIlroy's start, but then had to be content with five successive pars.

That included the long seventh, where McIlroy's approach had rolled down a slope to within four feet of the flag.

McIlroy had said he was happy not to be paired with Westwood after he lost their head-to-head by two on Thursday, but it looked as if they might be back together for the third round.

Sharing third place on seven under were Padraig Harrington, Colombian Camilo Villegas and South African Louis Oosthuizen, overnight leader Robert Allenby having bogeyed the first and fourth to drop down to five under.

German Martin Kaymer and England's Ross Fisher were the other two players still in with a chance of the Order of Merit crown, but they had to finish fourth and second respectively and that looked a remote possibility when they reached halfway on two under and level par respectively.