DUBAI — China's Feng Shanshan continued to motor toward her second Dubai Ladies Masters title in three years when the world No. 5 shot a six-under par 66 in the penultimate round of the 500,000euros season-ending championship of the Ladies European Tour and leads by five shots going into the final day. Shanshan, the highest ranked player in the field, moved to 17-under par for the tournament, five clear of the second-placed Melissa Reid of England, who showed welcome signs of a return to top form after a bogey-free round of seven-under par 65, the best card of the day at the Majlis course of Emirates Golf Club Friday. England's 18-year-old Charley Hull remained in contention to become the new European No. 1 when she came back strongly from a bogey-triple bogey stretch in the middle of her round to make three birdies in her next six holes for a round of three-under par 69. Hull was tied for third place at 10-under par along side world number 12 Anna Nordqvist (68) and 2012 European number one Carlota Ciganda (66) of Spain. Hull is seven shots behind Feng, but she is three shots ahead of France's Gwladys Nocera, the only player this week who can stop her from winning the Order of Merit crown. Nocera struggled throughout the day for a 71 and is tied ninth at 209. She needs to finish at least inside the top-four to win the Order of Merit for a second time. Rookie Nicole Broch Larsen (66) of Denmark and Noora Tamminen (69) of Finland were tied for the sixth place at 207. Fleetwood edges ahead England's Tommy Fleetwood took a one stroke lead after firing a three-under 69 in the second round of the $1 million Thailand Golf Championship at Amata Spring Golf and Country Club Friday. For the second day running, gusting winds and the thick rough troubled the entire field. Fleetwood was on four-under for the tournament, with 2011 champion Lee Westwood and Australia's Marcus Fraser one shot behind. A further stroke back were 24 year-old Thai national Tirawat Kaewsiribandit and Jonathan Moore of the US who shot 72 and 71 respectively. Lurking in joint sixth place on one-under for the tournament were US Open champion Martin Kaymer, local star Thongchai Jaidee and Paul Peterson of the US. Defending champion Sergio Garcia suffered a double-bogey at the 18th as he slipped back with a 75. Joint overnight leader Thanyakon Khrongpha also had a bad day, struggling with a five-over 77. The biggest casualty of the day, meanwhile, was French Ryder Cup star Victor Dubuisson who ballooned to 79 to miss the cut by some distance. Grace builds big lead South African Branden Grace continued his domination of the Leopard Creek Country Club course to establish a healthy lead at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Cape Town Friday. After an opening round 62, Grace sunk seven more birdies, his only blemish a dropped shot on the par-three fifth hole, to card a six-under-par 66 and open a five-shot advantage over Italian Francesco Molinari. Molinari produced the best round of the day with six birdies, an eagle at the par-five 13th and a single dropped shot for a 65 to go with his opening 68. Briton Danny Willett, last weekend's Nedbank Challenge winner, was two shots back on nine under par following an erratic 69. Home favourite Charl Schwartzel, who has won the event in the last two years, looks out of contention after he could only manage a 70 to fall 11 shots behind Grace. Ormsby, Strange share lead Australians Wade Ormsby and Scott Strange upstaged defending champion Adam Scott to lead the Australian PGA Championship after the second round at Royal Pines in Gold Coast Friday. Ormsby shot a five-under-par 67, highlighted by a six-hole run including an eagle and four birdies on his front nine to storm into contention at the third and final Australian major of the season. Strange, a two-time European Tour winner, joined Ormsby on nine-under when he birdied the last to complete a six-under 66 in the best round of the day. The pair head into Saturday's third round two shots clear of world number three Scott, who backed up an opening round 68 with a three-under 69 to be in third on seven under. — Agencies
