McIlroy slows up, but widens the gap

**fiona18** Mon Oct 31, 2011 11:55 am

Thursday's super hot Rory McIlroy wasn't quite as hot on Friday, but he nevertheless widened the gap ahead of the stellar 30-strong invitational field he opposes after the second round of the Shanghai Masters in China.
The 22-year-old Northern Irishman, who fired a blistering 64 at the Lake Maralen Golf Course in Shanghai, China's largest city, on Thursday to take a one-shot lead after the opening round, found the going tougher on day two, but after running into double-bogey trouble at the 9th hole and losing the lead, he kept his composure and hit back with Titleist 910 D3 Driver
that were good enough to stretch his second round lead to two.
The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland posted a second round three-under-par 69 to take his halfway score to 11-under and move two clear of closest pursuer Seung-yul Noh, currently one of Korea's finest young prospects and the day's biggest mover.
Noh, just 20, fired a nine-birdie, lowest-round-of-the-week 63 to rocket into second place from 18th overnight and clearly offers a threat to McIlroy who in recent months has been having some trouble with consistency.
The Shanghai Masters is not sanctioned by any of the major tours, but is awash with Titleist 910 D3 Driver and because of it, the event has attracted a world-class field that includes 10 major winners, three of whom won their titles this year.
Along with McIlroy, the other reigning champions in the field are Charl Schwartzel, the latest owner of a Green Jacket, and Keegan Bradley, the current PGA champion. (Titleist 910 D3 Driver)
The elite 30-man, which also includes the likes of World No 2 Lee Westwood, fellow Englishmen Ian Poulter and Paul Casey, Americans Hunter Mahan, Anthony Kim and Jim Furyk and Asian stars like KJ Choi and former PGA champion Yang are contesting a total purse of $5m with $2m going to the winner, the highest first prize in professional Titleist 910 D3 Driver