H. Choi takes second-round lead in China Open

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Choi leads the field by two shots in Beijing.

BEIJING (AP) -- South Korea's Choi Ho-sung shot a 4-under 68 to take a two-stroke lead after the second round of the Volvo China Open.

Choi was 6-under 138 at the halfway mark of the tournament, ahead of overnight leader Markus Brier of Austria, who followed a first-round 67 with a 1-over 73.

Brier, the 2007 champion stumbled early with bogeys on the first two holes at the par-72, 7,321-yard Beijing CBD International Golf Club. He is 4 under overall, tied for second with Thailand's Chapchai Nirat (71).

Nirat set an Asian Tour record to win the SAIL Open in India last month when he finished in a new low of 32 under.

Also in contention for the weekend at three strokes off the lead were Paul McGinley of Ireland and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain (70), winner of the 2006 Asian Open in China's business hub of Shanghai.

McGinley fired a 67, the best round of the day, and said he had rediscovered his putting touch after a rough opening round.

"I played pretty well yesterday but putted really, really poorly. I played pretty much the same (Friday) but putted fantastically. That's the difference," said McGinley, who shot a a 2-over 74 in the opening round.

Veteran Colin Montgomerie of Scotland, Europe's 2010 Ryder Cup captain, shot a second consecutive 1-over 73 and appeared out of contention at 2-over 174. He was joined by defending champion Damien McGrane, who had a 74.

The $2.2 million China Open is jointly sanctioned by the European Tour and is the first tournament in the OneAsia series launched by the PGA of Australasia, the China Golf Association and the Korean Golf Association and PGA. OneAsia has been created as a rival to the established Asian Tour in a battle for control of professional golf on the continent.