KEY POINTS:
China's Zhang Lian-Wei may have thrilled home fans but New Zealand's Mark Brown is still poised to maintain his lead in the Asian tour of merit.
Zhang made a birdie on the 18th hole to take a share of a one-stroke lead after the second round of the
$US2.3 million ($NZ2.91 million) Asian Open in Shanghai overnight Friday (NZT).
Zhang fired a near-flawless three-under 69 in blustery conditions at the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club, to join Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen on a five-under total of 139, one ahead of Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke.
Holding par amid swirling, gusty winds for 10 consecutive holes, Zhang picked up birdies on the 11th and 12th, before signing off in style, holing a 20-foot birdie on the 18th.
"I thought 'if I could hit an eight iron on to the green and two putt for my par, I'll be happy'. But seeing [playing partner] Peter Hedblom's putt, I learned the line and I holed my birdie putt," said Zhang, the first Chinese player to win on the European Tour, at the Singapore Masters in 2003.
Joint leader Derksen was also solid in the wind, with two consecutive birdies in his first two holes. Three further birdies and two bogeys put him three-under for the day.
After costly missed putts the previous round, Clarke found some timely form on the greens, sinking three birdies in a five-hole flurry late in his round of 69.
Leader Peter O'Malley of Australia couldn't repeat his first round, slipping to 74, two strokes behind the leader, and tied for fourth place overall on 141 with Briton Miles Tunnicliff.
Twice US Open champion Retief Goosen is one shot further adrift, alongside Brown in sixth. Britain's David Howell, on four over, and Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez, a further stroke in arrears, failed to make the weekend field.
Meanwhile, a blistering start of four consecutive birdies helped give Adam Scott a one-stroke lead over fellow Australian Mark Hensby in the Byron Nelson Championship second round.
World No 10 Scott fired a three-under-par 67 for a five-under total of 135 in calm, sunny conditions at the TPC Las Colinas, one shot ahead of Hensby (67). Kiwi Tim Wilkinson, who has been in fine form on the US PGA tour, missed the cut.
Justin Leonard (66) was tied for third on 137 with fellow Americans Ryan Moore (70), a former US Amateur champion, and Parker McLachlin (69).
Scott's best finish from five previous PGA Tour appearances this year was a tie for ninth at last month's WGC-CA Championship in Miami. He has five PGA Tour victories to his name, the most recent coming at last year's Houston Open.
Tiger Woods is no longer on crutches since surgery last week on his left knee, but does not know when he will return.
'"The knee has been bugging me for a while. The only decision was do you miss the Masters or play in the Masters? I decided to play. Even if I had won, I still would have had the surgery."
Woods had arthroscopic surgery on April 15, two days after he finished the Masters. It was the second time in five years Woods had surgery on his left knee, this time to clean out some cartilage.
"I'm a little stir crazy," Woods said. "I should be able to play again in four to six weeks, but nothing is certain."
