McDowell and Sharvin slip back in Asia

Matthew Jordan. Picture: Hainan Open Official Committee

Graeme McDowell birdied three of his last five holes but still ended the day eight shots adrift of Justin Thomas in the CJ Cup and Nine Bridges in South Korea.

The 2010 US Open winner (40) was two over at the turn but birdied the 14th, 17th and 18th at the Jeju Island resort and signed for a one-under 71 that saw him fall nine spots to tied 18th on five-under. Scores

Thomas shot a nine-under 63 to lead by two strokes on a 36-hole tournament record 13-under par from Byeong Hun An (69) and Danny Lee (66).

Jordan Spieth shot a 65 to share fourth with Emiliano Grillo (66) on nine-under, but world number one Brooks Koepka shot 75, his highest round since January, to slip to tied 51st on level par.

It was a more trying day for Cormac Sharvin in the Challenge Tour's Hainan Open where seven players share the 36-hole lead at the on seven under par.

Sharvin made six bogeys and four birdies in a two-over 74 to lie 33rd on one-under at Sanya Luhuitou Golf Club.

Wil Besseling, Robin Roussel and China's Liu Yanwei set the target after teeing off early on day two, while Englishmen Richard Bland and Matthew Jordan, China's Xiao Bowen and South Korean Jaewoong Eom joined them on seven under par as darkness began to descend over Sanya.

Of the leaders, Liu posted the lowest round as a six-under-par round of 66 earned him a share of the advantage, while Besseling and Bland posted rounds of 67, Xiao, Eom and Roussel signed for rounds of 68, while Jordan added a two-under-par 70 to his opening 67.

France's Damien Perrier, Chinese duo Bai Zheng-kai and He Shaocai – who posted the low round of the day with a seven-under-par 65 – and Yeh Yu-Chen of Chinese Taipei, are one stroke further back in eighth place on six under par.

In total, 63 players survived the halfway cut of one over par or lower, including the two Chinese amateurs Chen Guxin and Liu Enhua.