• BMW PGA Championship, Round Two

Donald reeled in as Westwood lurks

Luke Donald could only manage a 72 after his opening-round 64 © Getty Images

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• News: Donald beats Westwood to Wentworth crown
  
• News: Poulter launches attack on Wentworth layout
  
• Profile: Paul Casey | Luke Donald | Miguel Jimenez | Martin Kaymer | Ian Poulter | Charl Schwartzel | Lee Westwood

Leaderboard

Luke Donald remains on course to dethrone Lee Westwood as world No. 1 despite failing to hold onto his outright lead at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

After his blistering opening-round 64, Donald was less impressive on Friday afternoon, and opened his round with a bogey. Two further bogeys were cancelled out by birdies as the world No. 2 signed for a 72 to reach the halfway stage at six-under-par.

He is joined in a share of the lead by Italian teenager Matteo Manassero and Spain's Alvaro Quiros. Having trailed Donald by two strokes at the start of the day, Manassero birdied the last to sign for a 70, while Quiros' three birdies in his last three holes saw him storm up the leaderboard to join the pair at the top.

Donald will overtake Westwood in the rankings if he places higher than the world No. 1 at Wentworth, providing Martin Kaymer doesn't finish in the top two. At three-over, Kaymer's chances of returning to No. 1 look slim after struggling with the driver, averaging under 250 yards and hitting eight of 14 fairways.

However, Westwood has no intention of letting his No. 1 status go without a fight after his second-round 69 kept him in contention. He started brightly with birdies at the second and fourth, but had to wait until the 15th to pick up another shot. The world No. 1 finished with a flourish, birdying the last to move to one-under, five shots off the pace.

Ian Poulter's bid to clinch back-to-back victories were dented after his second-round 74 left him fuming. Poulter enjoyed the best of the conditions on Friday morning, having battled through the rain the previous day to record a laudable 68, but he was unable to take advantage of the serene weather.

Ian Poulter found water at the 18th, prompting him to end with a double-bogey © Getty Images

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Although the Englishman, who won the World Match Play Championship last week, started strongly with a birdie at the first, from that point onwards he looked flummoxed by the speed of the greens. His misery was summed up at the 11th, when he sent a four-foot putt hurtling five feet past the hole, and there was a late sting in the tail as he sent his third shot into water at the 18th, prompting a double-bogey.

Poulter's playing partner Paul Casey had a better day, posting a 71 that keeps him one-over for the tournament, but his scorecard had a similarly chaotic look to it. Like Poulter, his short game failed to fire, causing him to succeed in only three of his seven attempted scrambles.

Colin Montgomerie rolled back the years with a 69 on Thursday, but could only manage a four-over 75 on Friday. Having produced five birdies on the front nine in his opening round, it was four bogeys that provided the colour on his card on Friday, but a bogey-free back nine helped steady the ship.

A single stroke between Northern Ireland duo Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell proved decisive after the pair had an anxious wait to see if they made the cut. In the end, McIlroy (four-over) snuck in, but McDowell (five-over) missed out, as did defending champion Simon Khan.

Both McIlroy and McDowell have tickets to Saturday's Champions League final at Wembley, but McIlroy will have to rush to London for the evening kick-off after 18 holes.

Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and Miguel Angel Jimenez will both miss the weekend. Schwartzel was brought crashing back to earth, finishing at 12-over following a 75. He recorded four double-bogeys at the tournament, three of which came on Thursday. Former winner Jimenez fared slightly better, completing at eight-over.

The players were wearing navy blue to commemorate the late Seve Ballesteros, 20 years after his second and last PGA Championship victory.

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