Alejandro Canizares and Lee Westwood tied for Malaysia Open lead
Friday 6 February 2015 15:31, UK
Alejandro Canizares joined Lee Westwood for the lead at the halfway stage of the Maybank Malaysian Open.
Defending champion Westwood held a three-shot lead for spells of Friday's second round in Kuala Lumpur but Canizares finished with three birdies in four holes to match his 11-under par total.
Westwood started the day tied with Graeme McDowell, who did not enjoy the best of rounds on Friday, but he struggled in the early holes and trailed early starter Bernd Wiesberger for most of the front-nine.
But he found his rhythm, especially on the greens, on the way back to the clubhouse and four birdies meant a round of 67.
Canizares opened with a 68 but went three better in his second round, which included seven birdies and continued his fine start to the 2015 season - he finished 12th in Abu Dhabi and eighth last week in Qatar.
The Spaniard, who ended a lengthy winless drought in Morocco last year, closed within a shot of Westwood with birdies at the 15th and 16th, and he then canned a 15-footer on the last to join the Englishman.
'Slumped'
Wiesberger, like Canizares in fine form, carded a second round 66 in the morning session - the big hitting Austrian making seven birdies with a sole dropped shot coming at the 11th.
England's Paul Waring and Irishman Peter Lawrie are one stroke behind Wiesberger on seven-under, one ahead of Richard T Lee and Richard Bland.
McDowell failed to follow up his opening round 66 as he slumped to a one-over 73 featuring a costly start to the back nine.
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The Northern Irishman had three birdies and a couple of dropped shots on the front nine but then bogeyed the 11th and gave away two more strokes at the 12th - he did get one back at the 17th but is now six off the pace.
And it was an even worse day for England's Tommy Fleetwood, who was only one shot off the pace after 18 holes.
Fleetwood had three bogeys, a double and a triple in a sloppy seven-over 79 that left him only just above the cut mark along with Ryder Cup star Stephen Gallacher, who slumped to a 77 after opening with a 69.
Watch the third round of the Malaysian Open from 3am on Sky Sports 4 on Saturday.
