BMW Masters 2012: Day 2 Leaderboard Analysis, Highlights and More

Ryder Cup teammates Peter Hanson and Rory McIlroy are duking it out for the top spot at the 2012 BMW Masters at Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai.

McIlroy improved on his opening-round performance, nailing seven birdies on his way to shooting a 65 on the day, finishing the day 12-under par.

While the top-ranked golfer in the world finds himself trailing Hanson, the only member of the European contingent at the Ryder Cup who didn't get any points, by two strokes, he's pleased with his performance in Round 2:

"

Played well today, put myself in a good position for the wkend. Also got to meet some fans after my roundsay.ly/MmS4s3G

— Rory Mcilroy (@McIlroyRory) October 26, 2012"

Hanson overcame a bogey on the first hole of the day to shoot 64 in the second round, taking the tournament lead at 14-under par.

Jamie Donaldson, who sat atop the leaderboard after Round 1 after shooting a course-record 62, struggled mightily in the second round of action, shooting a two-over-par 74 and falling into a fourth-place tie with Shane Lowry, who, like Hanson, shot a 64 in the second round of play.

Leaderboard

Place	Player	Round 2 Score	Total Score
1	Peter Hanson	64 (-8)	130 (-14)
2	Rory McIlroy	65 (-7)	132 (-12)
3	Robert Karlsson	64 (-8)	135 (-9)
T4	Jamie Donaldson	74 (+2)	136 (-8)
T4	Shane Lowry	64 (-8)	136 (-8)
T4	Alexander Noren	68 (-4)	136 (-8)
T4	Justin Rose	68 (-4)	136 (-8)
T8	Luke Donald	67 (-5)	137 (-7)
T8	Martin Kaymer	69 (-3)	137 (-7)

Click here for the full leaderboard at the 2012 BMW Masters.

Prediction

Hanson and McIlroy have put some distance between themselves and the rest of the field, but this is a deep, talented field of golfers.

Both Karlsson and Lowry matched Hanson's performance in the second round of play, and if they are able to keep pace, there's no reason they couldn't find themselves gaining another stroke on the leaders during the third round of play on Saturday.

And who knows? Maybe someone will ace a hole and take home a shiny, new BMW for his trouble.

Watch: Round 3 will be shown on the Golf Channel on Saturday, October 27 from 9 a.m. ET to 1 p.m. ET.

Notable Round 3 Pairings and Tee Times

Time (ET)	Players
4:10	John Daly	Sang-hyhun Park	Hao-tong Li
6:00	David Horsey	Jose Maria Olazabal	Edoardo Molinari
6:20	Lee Westwood	Ian Poulter	Alvaro Quiros
7:10	Jamie Donaldson	Luke Donald	Nicolas Colsaerts
7:20	Justin Rose	Alexander Noren	Shane Lowry
7:30	Rory McIlroy	Peter Hanson	Robert Karlsson

Click here for a full listing of Round 3 tee times and pairings.