EUROPEAN

• Lorenzo-Vera remains one clear in China

  
  

  Beijing, China (Sports Network) - Michael Lorenzo-Vera shot a three-under 69 on Friday to remain one clear of the field after two rounds of the China Open.

  Lorenzo-Vera completed 36 holes at eight-under-par 136. He is one clear of Richard Finch and Damien McGrane, who both carded three-under 69s in round two.

  Oliver Wilson fired a six-under 66 to jump into fourth place at minus-six. Defending champion Markus Brier (69) is among four players tied for fifth at four-under-par 140.

  Lorenzo-Vera played the back nine first on Friday. Early on he moved into a share of the lead at minus-seven after birdies on 11 and 13.

  However, he stumbled to a double-bogey on the 14th. Lorenzo-Vera recovered one stroke with a birdie on 17 at Beijing CBD International Golf Club.

  The Frenchman dropped in back-to-back birdie efforts from the first to move into the lead at eight-under.

  Lorenzo-Vera tripped to a bogey at the fourth. He climbed to nine-under with birdies on six and eight. Lorenzo-Vera faltered to a bogey on the ninth to drop his lead to one after 36 holes.

  "I am very happy because I was quite strong on the course, but I did miss two short putts," Lorenzo-Vera said. "I made a lot of birdies today and I hope they keep coming."

  He has led after each of the first two rounds. Those were the first two times Lorenzo-Vera held an overnight lead on the European Tour.

  "I was very nervous. I didn't sleep much last night," admitted Lorenzo-Vera. "The first hole was quite hard for me."

  Finch, who won the New Zealand Open earlier this season, dropped back to three-under with a bogey at the first. He flew up the leaderboard as he ran off three straight birdies from the fifth to get to six-under.

  The Englishman birdied the 10th and 13th, both for the second straight day, to move to eight-under. Finch bogeyed the 14th for the second time in two days to finish one back.

  "I'm delighted. Yesterday's round was a very important one with the wind in the afternoon and to shoot in the 60s again is pleasing and has put me in a good position going into the weekend," Finch stated.

  McGrane cruised through the front side with nine straight pars. He connected on a birdie try on the 10th before an eagle at 13 got him within one of the lead. The Irishman parred out to share second.

  Brier was joined in fifth place at four-under-par 140 by Simon Griffiths, Jason Knutzon and Zane Scotland, who all shot 72 in the second round.

  The cut line fell at four-over-par 148 with 69 players moving on to the weekend. Among those who missed the cut were Jose-Filipe Lima (149), Peter O'Malley (150) and Lian-Wie Zhang (152).

  04/18 08:35:52 ET