Spanish Leaders in Andalucia

Miguel Angel Jimenez boosted his hopes of becoming the oldest-ever winner on the European Tour by moving within one shot of the lead at the Open de Andalucia.

The 48-year-old carded a second round of 68 to move to seven under in a tournament he is promoting - the Ryder Cup player even had to dip into his own pocket to help provide some of the prize money.

However, Jimenez is now firmly on course to get an instant return on his outlay after mixing in six birdies with two bogeys during Friday's round.

His efforts mean he sits in a five-way tie for second just behind compatriot Eduardo de la Riva, who followed up his opening 67 with a solid 69 to be the surprise leader at the halfway stage.

The 29-year-old from Barcelona was one of eight players given places in the event off the Spanish Order of Merit, with his best-ever finish being third place at the Madrid Masters.

The world number 610 - who has made nine trips to qualifying school - managed a birdie at the last to push himself clear on eight under.

"I had a poor start," said de la Riva, who was one over through two holes before recovering with three birdies before the turn.

"I missed a three footer on the first and bogeyed the second from 20 feet. I was beginning to lose confidence, but then I hit it close and made birdie on the third - that settled me.

"I am very pleased with my birdie on 18 which is a challenging hole. I took a five wood and four iron over the water."

Another Spaniard, Pablo Larrazabal (69), is in the group breathing down De la Riva's neck, along with Irishman Damien McGrane (68), England's Tommy Fleetwood (69) and first-round leader Matteo Manassero.

Italian teenager Manassero had carded a course record-equalling 64 on Thursday at the Aloha Golf Club, but managed only a 73 on day two.

There are a further eight players on six under, including Ryder Cup stars Eduardo Molinari and Oliver Wilson, who is playing on an invitation.

They are joined by English duo Robert Rock and David Lynn, Northern Irishman Michael Hoey, Hennie Otto of South Africa, Swede Joakim Lagergren and Raphael Jacquelin, the Frenchman signing for a 68.

Gonzo Leads in Qatar

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano overcame a desert storm to snatch the lead from John Daly on the opening day of the Qatar Masters in Doha.

The Spaniard, who is on course for a Ryder Cup debut, birdied four of the last five holes in shooting a brilliant 66.

“You feel like you are eating a lot of sand - it was brutal”John Daly

American Daly, who is 543rd in the world, earlier returned to form with a five-under-par 67.

He said: "It's one of the best rounds I've ever played in a wind like that."

Three months after walking out of the Australian Open, saying he had run out of balls - several of them had just been hit into a lake - 45-year-old Daly surprised even himself with five birdies and no dropped shots.

He added: "You feel like you are eating a lot of sand - it was brutal. I'm pretty shocked myself. I had five and a half weeks off and really didn't touch a club much."

Daly won the 1995 Open at St Andrews in simlarly windy conditions, but his last victory was eight years ago and he no longer has a PGA Tour card in his home country.

Fernandez-Castano, wearing sunglasses to keep the sand out of his eyes, had a remarkable nine birdies during his round, but also bogeyed the fourth, long 10th and 13th.

Reigning champion Thomas Bjorn is 13 shots off the lead after shooting a seven-over-par 79.

Tiger Makes Season Debut at HSBC

Former world number one Tiger Woods has opted to play in Abu Dhabi this week, and he could be back in the world top 10 if he were to win the tournament.

The 14-time major champion dropped out of the top 50 last month but rose to 21st after ending a two-year wait for a title at the Chevron World Challenge.

In his first event since, he will now make his Abu Dhabi Championship debut.

The world's top four, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer, are also in action this week.

In rankings terms, it is the second best field for a European Tour event outside the four majors and World Championship events since the list began in 1986.

Woods normally chooses to begin his season in America at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, near San Diego.

The 36-year-old has won five times at the course, which was also the venue for the last of his 14 majors, the 2008 US Open.

However, there are considerably more ranking points on offer in Abu Dhabi and there is also the added incentive of an appearance fee reported to be well into seven figures.

Should his renaissance continue it is possible Woods could be in a position to challenge for the world number one spot as early as April at the Masters.

"I'm very excited to get going," said Woods. "I'm looking forward to testing my game against a very strong field."

Woods has dropped to 25th in the rankings after taking six weeks off following his World Challenge victory at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California, on 4 December, when he birdied the final two holes to beat Zach Johnson by one stroke.

"It's hard to believe it was that long," said Woods. "It was a nice way to end the season and hopefully I'll win a few more in 2012."

The four-time Masters champion has confirmed that he will make his first start on the PGA Tour at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am from 9-12 February.

Meanwhile, Europe's Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal has found himself one of the beneficiaries of a decision to increase the field in Abu Dhabi from 126 to 129.

The 45-year-old had not been given one of the seven sponsors' invitation places, which went to Woods, Sweden's Henrik Stenson, Australian Jason Day, Korean KJ Choi, China's Liang Wen-chong, England's Challenge Tour winner Tommy Fleetwood and locally-based professional Stuart Fee, a 34-year-old Englishman who last month won a qualifying event.

But the Spaniard, who finished sixth at the Volvo Golf Champions event in South Africa at the weekend and was heading to the middle east in any case for a Ryder Cup press conference, received the news that he, German Alex Cejka and Swede Niclas Fasth would all now be able to compete in the tournament.

Grace Makes it Two for Two

Branden Grace won for the second week running as he held his nerve to edge out compatriots Ernie Els and Retief Goosen in a play-off at the Volvo Golf Champions.

The 23-year-old South African - who claimed his maiden European Tour event at the Joburg Open last week - had missed a five-foot putt at the last to clinch victory in regulation at Fancourt.

However, he did not let that miss affect him and calmly made a birdie down the 18th at the second time of asking to beat major champions El and Goosen at the first extra hole.

Els had produced the round of the day as he posted a closing 67, featuring six birdies and an eagle, to move into the lead and set the clubhouse target at 12-under-par.

Goosen produced a storming finish of his own as he picked up five shots over the course of his final six holes to match Els and the duo then watched on as Grace and playing partner in the final group,Nicolas Colsaerts, played the closing par-five having both teed off at 12-under.

Wild tee-shot

Colsaerts eventually paid the price for a wild tee-shot as he missed a short putt to sign for a bogey-six which left him one adrift at 11-under.

Grace appeared to have done enough when his well-judged chip left him five feet for birdie, but he pulled it wide of the cup to force extra holes.

The youngster regrouped admirably in the play-off, though, and with Els finding thick rough off the tee and Goosen short and right in two, he put himself in pole position after chasing a low second on to the putting surface.

Goosen then left his chip well short and had to settle for a par-five and when Els' 20-foot birdie attempt shaved the cup the game was up as Grace completed a solid two-putt to clinch the title.

Grace, who was only last month at qualifying school, becomes the first player since Fred Couples in 1995 to follow his first European Tour win with another.

Charl Schwartzel had looked like the man to beat on the front nine, but paid the price for an erratic back nine as he mixed an eagle and two birdies with two bogeys and a double to finish in fifth at 10-under.

Europe's Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal shared top spot after starting with two birdies, but slipped back to sixth, while Scot Paul Lawrie and Ireland's Padraig Harrington were tied for 10th.

Ecstatic

"I'm really ecstatic," said Grace after his two-putt birdie at the first extra hole. "It's a dream come to win such a big event - pretty much the best tournament I've played in so far."

He was 258th in the world little over a week ago, but now moves inside the top 100.

Els added: "A couple more putts here and there and that could have been something special. It's a very encouraging week, all four rounds under par, and I'm working on some good stuff."

2012 Dubai Race Underway

Two-time Major Champion Retief Goosen added another honour to his CV when he launched The 2012 Race to Dubai, hitting the opening tee-shot of the new season at the curtain-raising Africa Open.

The South African’s drive at East London Golf Club heralded the fourth edition of the season-long Race to Dubai, which will consist of a minimum of 46 tournaments spread across 11 months, 25 countries and five continents. 

“It is a great honour to be hitting the first tee shot of the season and getting The 2012 Race to Dubai underway, especially as the Africa Open is in my home country and is a tournament I have won in the past,” said the 2001 and 2004 US Open Champion. .

“The Race to Dubai itself is a superb concept and is going from strength to strength every year. You only need to look at the calibre of players who have won it so far – Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald – to see that, and I am sure this year’s Race will be equally as exciting.

“It was a thrill for me to finish European Number One in both 2001 and 2002 and it would be great way for me to celebrate the tenth anniversary of that latter triumph by challenging for The Race to Dubai in 2012. One thing is for sure, I will be giving it my best shot, starting this week.”

The 2012 Race to Dubai will culminate with the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai at the Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, UAE, from November 22-25, 2012, when the top 60 players will contest the US$8,000,000 season-ending event.

The top ten players on The Race to Dubai at the conclusion of the event will share the US$3,750,000 Bonus Pool and the leading player will receive the Harry Vardon Trophy, succeeding Luke Donald as European Number One. Englishman Donald was the third winner of The Race to Dubai, following in the footsteps of inaugural champion Lee Westwood, also of England, and 2010 winner Martin Kaymer of Germany.