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Holland's Lafeber overcomes jet lag to take lead

Jarmo Sandelin blasts out of a bunker in Taoyuan, yesterday. PHOTO: AP

Maarten Lafeber overcame blustery winds and severe jet lag to fire a 6-under-par 66 yesterday and take a four-stroke lead in the second round of the BMW Asian Open in Taiwan.

The Dutchman carded an eagle and five birdies as he pulled ahead of South Africa's Trevor Immelman and Ireland's Padraig Harrington at the 7,004-yard (6,404m) Ta Shee Golf and Country Club course outside Taipei.

The 28-year-old Lafeber, a former Dutch amateur champion, said that he was confident about his game.

"The funny thing is that I haven't been swinging that great the last couple of months, but I've managed to put on a good swing when I need to," he said.

Lafeber said that he's still battling jet lag and doesn't feel well-rested. "Yesterday night, I was just awake until 2 o'clock in the morning, and I had to get up at 5, so I was getting a bit worried."

American Andrew Pitts and Australian Adrian Percey were five strokes off the lead. Pitts shot a 2-under-par 70 and Percy had a 3-under-par 69.

John Daly tees off on the 18th hole to finish the second day of the BMW Asian Open, yesterday in Taoyuan. PHOTO: AP

Harrington was disappointed with his second-round performance in the NT$52 million (US$1.5 million) event co-sanctioned by the Asian PGA Tour and PGA European Tour.

"I started well but my concentration wasn't good today," said the Irishman, who was on the victorious European Ryder Cup squad this year. "I should have done better as I was swinging the club fine."

He carded three birdies in his first nine holes, but he only had one birdie and two bogeys on the last nine. One of the bogeys was on the final hole, the par-4 ninth, where he drove into a small ravine and then shot into a sand trap. He chipped onto the green but two-putted after missing a four-footer.

Leaders after day two * 132 - Maarten Lafeber, Netherlands, 66-66. * 136 - Trevor Immelman, South Africa, 69-67; Padraig Harrington, Ireland, 66-70. * 137 - Andrew Pitts, US, 67-70; Adrian Percey, Australia, 68-69. * Thursday's leader, Jyoti Randhawa of India, dropped to 140 yesterday after playing a 75 -- ten more than the 65 he played on Thursday.

But Harrington's day could have easily been much worse if he hadn't skillfully worked his way out of a few jams. On the par-3 fifth hole, he drove the ball over the green and onto a muddy swale, setting himself up for a difficult chip toward a hole close to the green's edge. But he chipped in front of the pin and tapped in for par.

He got in trouble again on the par-5 sixth hole when his drive faded right into the rough, where he had a difficult downhill lie. A clean iron shot put him close to the green, but a bad chip put his ball far the pin. He two-putted for par.

Rainy weather made the rolling, curvy course soggy and slow during Thursday's first round. But gusty winds moved in and sunny clear skies quickly dried the greens yesterday, creating an almost entirely different course -- one that was "really hard and fast," Immelman said.

"Today, all of a sudden, as soon as the sun came out, then the wind started blowing and you could see that the ball was really running on," said the 22-year-old South African, who won the Vodacom Players Championship in South Africa in 2000.

Immelman had a chip in for an eagle on the par-5 sixth hole, and he sank a 30-foot putt on the par-4 eighth hole for one of his four birdies. However, he carded a bogey when he three-putted on the par-3 11th hole.

American John Daly decided to keep playing, though his 65-year-old mother, Lou, died of cancer on Thursday.

Daly shot a 2-over-par 74 yesterday, finishing in even par for the two rounds and making the cut, set at 1-over par and better.

Next week, Daly was scheduled to compete in the Australian PGA Championship, and the event's promoter, Tony Roosenberg, said that the golfer confirmed that he would still play.

Also making the cut was Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee, who trailed by six strokes after shooting a 67. Wales' Ian Woosnam and Scotland's Sam Torrance were eight strokes back after shooting a 69 and 67, respectively.

Last year's winner, Jarmo Sandelin of Sweden, had a 74 and was nine strokes off the lead, while Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal almost missed the cut, carding a 72 that put him 1-over par.

Paul McGinley, the Irishman who sank the winning putt in the Ryder Cup, missed the cut after he shot an 80, putting him 6-over par for the two rounds.
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