Westwood stays in the hunt in Shanghai

Looking to build on yesterday's impressive 65 at Sheshan International GC, Molinari began in ideal fashion with two birdies in his first four holes.

A three at the par-four seventh followed and it seemed the Italian was primed to move clear of the field, only for a bogey at the ninth to curtail his charge.

Another shot went at the 12th and Molinari was in danger of undoing his earlier good work but he managed to arrest the slide by picking up his fourth shot at the 14th to eventually sign for a 70.

That left him nine under, one ahead of Westwood who also finished two under par for the day.

A solid if unspectacular start meant the 37-year-old did not pick up his first birdie until the eighth and he gave the shot back after hooking his tee shot into the woods on the 11th as he was eventually left a long putt for par which he could not sink.

A birdie chance at the 13th slipped by after he hit a wedge to 12 feet but Westwood picked up another shot at the next to return to seven under par.

The Worksop golfer then drove the green on the short par-four 16th and although his chip for eagle just faded at the end, he had a simple tap-in to close to within one of Molinari.

That margin was in danger of reverting back to two strokes on the 18th when Westwood fluffed a chip after laying up on the par five, but he recovered well and knocked in a short par putt to complete a round of 70 and finish eight under par.

Richie Ramsay lies tied for third after the Scot fired a four-under 68 to close within two of the lead.

Reaching the turn one under, three birdies on the front nine - Ramsay's second nine - saw him improve on yesterday's score by one shot and move very much into contention for the weekend.

Ernie Els produced the round of the day as a 65 also lifted the South African to seven under par.

Beginning the day even following yesterday's 72, and seven shots off the lead, Els raised his game and blitzed the front nine with five birdies to haul himself back into the mix.

Another followed at the 11th as the 41-year-old continued to roll back the years and although he dropped what proved to be his only shot of the day at the next, two more birdies at the 16th and 18th represented a satisfying end to Els' day.

Compatriot Jaco Van Zyl joined Els on seven under, the 31-year-old coming home in a scintillating 29 to card a second-round 66.

There was no sign of the fireworks to come as, starting at the 10th, van Zyl reached the turn one over for his round. However, five birdies and an eagle on his back nine propelled him into third.

Luke Donald is alone in sixth, three shots back following a steady 70 that featured three birdies and a bogey, the Englishman spurning good opportunities at the 16th and 18th that could have elevated him further up the leaderboard.

Ross Fisher and Korean Noh Seung-yul occupy joint seventh on five-under following rounds of 70 and 72 respectively.

Tiger Woods endured a day of mixed fortunes as five bogeys cancelled out five birdies and left the former world number one in a group of nine players at four under par that also includes Ian Poulter, Padraig Harrington, Phil Mickelson and Australian Richard Greene, who fired a hole in one at the par-three fourth.