Quesne grabs lead at China Open
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Shanghai, China (SportsNetwork.com) - Julien Quesne posted a 5-under 67 on Friday to move one stroke clear of the field after two rounds of the China Open.
Quesne finished 36 holes at 8-under-par 136. He owns two European Tour titles, winning once in 2012 and again in 2013.
Defending champion Alexander Levy remained one stroke off the lead as he carded a 4-under 68. Levy was joined in second place at minus-7 by Peter Uihlein, who shot 67 in round two at Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Matteo Manassero, Hao-tong Li, Jerome Lando Casanova and last week's Shenzhen International winner Kiradech Aphibarnrat all carded rounds of 4-under 68. They were joined in fourth place at 5-under-par 139 by Ashun Wu (66) and Romain Wattel (67).
David Howell, Bradley Dredge and Michael Hendry shared the first-round lead. Howell managed an even-par 72 and fell into a share of 10th place at minus-4. Hendry tripped to a 1-over 73 to tumble to 3-under-par 141, while Dredge faltered to a 2-over 74 and dipped into a share of 15th at minus-2.
Quesne opened his round with a birdie at the par-5 second and moved to 5-under with a birdie at the fourth. After a pair of pars, he birdied the par-4 seventh.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The Frenchman made the turn at minus-7 after making birdie at the par-5 ninth, then parred the first three holes around the turn. For the second straight day, he dropped in back-to-back birdies at 13 and 14 to move into the lead at minus-9.
Quesne parred the next two holes before tripping to a bogey at the par-3 17th. He closed with a par at the last.
"I played much better today, so that was the main reason for my good score. I felt very comfortable and hardly missed any shots, so it was a very good day all round," said Quesne, who tied for fourth last week in Shenzhen. "My performance last week definitely helps build the confidence, so I felt good at the start of the week and I'm still feeling good now, but there's a long way to go."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Levy had three birdies on the front nine to climb to 6-under, then poured in three straight birdies from the 11th to soar into the lead. He faltered to a double-bogey on the 16th after finding a fairway bunker off the tee and dumping his approach in the water.
The reigning champion bogeyed No. 17 for the second day in a row to slip to minus-6, but bounced back with a birdie at the last to end one back.
Uihlein, who also tied for fourth last week, got off to a quick start with birdies at one and two. He ran off five straight pars from the third.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The American birdied the eighth and ninth en route to making the turn at minus-6, but stumbled to a bogey at the 10th before getting that stroke back with a birdie on the par-3 12th.
Uihlein dropped another stroke at the 16th and closed with an eagle at the par-5 18th to get within one of the lead.
NOTES: Quesne owns the second-round lead for the second time in his European Tour career ... Felipe Aguilar rebounded from an opening 80 with a bogey-free, 7-under 65 and made the cut by one stroke ... The cut line fell at 2-over 144 with 67 players advancing to the weekend ... Among those that missed the cut were Nicolas Colsaerts, Alvaro Quiros, Alejandro Canizares and Tommy Fleetwood, who was the highest-ranked player in the field at world No. 55.