Brett Rumford posted a 63 to get to 10 under, putting the Australian three strokes clear of Miguel Angel Jimenez and Soren Kjeldsen.

Westwood’s opening round included a final-hole double bogey at the Blackstone Golf Club at Icheon. But the world No. 1 had a solid performance Friday, finishing with a birdie.

The Englishman, who won the Indonesian Masters last weekend, had a chance to move closer to the top but had three bogeys in his round.

Rumford had nine birdies to move into the lead at the halfway point.

“I struck a little bit of magic out there today and it’s great to have these shots up your sleeve going into the weekend,” said Rumford, who was the runner-up in last year’s tournament. “I had seven weeks off before playing in Malaysia and China the past two weeks, so I’m happy about today.”

Rain was in the forecast for the weekend, making Rumford’s position even more important.

“The more shots up your sleeve the better going into the weekend — if the forecast is bad it’s going to play very, very tricky,” he said.

Kjeldsen carded a 66 to move to 7 under, while Jimenez added a 67 to his first-round 70. Welshman Rhys Davies, James Morrison of England and first-round leader Damien McGrane of Ireland were a shot back at 6 under, and American Dustin Johnson was at 5 under after a 69.

Three-time major winner Ernie Els is in danger of missing the cut after a second-round 73 left him at 2 over.

The $2.8 million tournament is co-sanctioned by the Asian tour, the European tour and the Korea PGA.
 
Jones, Watson share Zurich

Classic lead

In Avondale, Louisiana,  Matt Jones chipped in from 57 feet on his final hole for a 6-under 66 and a share of the first-round lead with Bubba Watson on Thursday in the Zurich Classic.

Watson, the winner at Torrey Pines in late January, made a 32-foot eagle putt on the par-5 11th and had six birdies and two bogeys at TPC Louisiana.

Jones had eight birdies and two bogeys. Playing the back nine first, the Australian reeled off four consecutive birdies beginning at the par-4 16th. He followed with a 30-foot birdie putt on the 17th, an 11-footer on the 18th and a 20-foot putt on the first.

Watson and Jones played in the afternoon in better scoring conditions after a strong north wind made morning play more difficult.

Joe Durant, Tommy Gainey, Carl Pettersson, John Rollins, Nick O’Hern and David Duval opened with 67s.

Luke Donald, a playoff loser last week at Hilton Head in a failed bid to jump from No. 3 to No. 1 in the world, shot a 68 to match Matt Bettencourt, Webb Simpson, Jason Dufner, Charles Howell and 2002 winner K.J. Choi. Hilton Head winner Brandt Snedeker opened with a 77.
 
Park, Kim set pace in Avnet LPGA Classic

In Mobile, Alabama,  Grace Park and Song-Hee Kim shot 5-under 67s in windy conditions to share the first-round lead in the Avnet LPGA Classic, the tour’s only event in a six-week stretch.

Park eagled the par-5 13th and had five birdies and two bogeys on The Crossings course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Magnolia Grove complex. She won the last of her six LPGA Tour titles in 2004.

Park missed the pro-am Wednesday to rest her surgically repaired back. She has failed to make the cut in her three previous LPGA Tour starts this season.

Stacy Lewis, the Kraft Nabisco winner three weeks ago, was a stroke back at 68 along with Karen Stupples.

Defending champion Se Ri Pak shot a 69 to match Na Yeon Choi and Angela Oh. Pak also won the Tournament of Champions on the course in 2001 and 2002.

Michelle Wie opened with a 76. Top-ranked Yani Tseng also struggled, shooting a 77.