Quiros celebrates "Seve Day" in style

VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Spain's Alvaro Quiros marked 'Seve Day' in style Friday, finishing with three straight birdies to join Luke Donald and Matteo Manassero at the top of the PGA Championship second-round leaderboard.

Players and spectators paid tribute to Seve Ballesteros, who died this month at the age of 54 after a long battle with brain cancer, by wearing the Spanish great's favourite navy blue and white at Wentworth.

Donald started the day with a two-shot lead but a one-over 72 meant the Briton was reeled in by Italian teen-ager Manassero (70) and Quiros (67) as all three players compiled six-under totals of 136.

Two strokes back in joint fourth were South African Thomas Aiken (67), Briton David Horsey (68) and Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara (70).

The squally showers and gusting 30-kph winds of Thursday gave way to calmer conditions but the fiendishly difficult Wentworth layout, newly redesigned by Ernie Els, once again bared its teeth.

Unseasonably cold conditions and a decision by the organisers to push the tees back and set up trickier pin positions made sure the West Course played every inch of its tough 7,251 yardage.

Red under-par figures were not easy to locate among a sea of over-par blue on the scoreboards at the European Tour's flagship event.

Among the players who failed to cope were U.S. Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell, British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez -- all four missing the halfway cut.

South Korean teen-ager Noh Seung-yul ballooned to an 80, racking up an ugly 11 at the par-five 18th after three times finding the moat in front of the green.

VELVET TOUCH

Five-times tour winner Quiros is renowned for his long, booming drives but he also displayed a velvet touch on and around the greens.

The likeable Spaniard, who always seems to be smiling, rolled in a 50-foot putt at the 16th. He chipped at the next hole before claiming his birdie hat-trick after a majestic bunker shot at the last.

"I hit a few really bad shots from the tee today but at the same time I holed two or three very long putts," the tall, bearded Quiros told reporters.

"I have been playing very safe. I think that's a good thing considering the bad weather and how hard the greens are, they are tough and quick."

World number two Donald, who has a chance to leapfrog top-ranked Lee Westwood this week, said he was "slightly disappointed" with his performance Friday after firing a brilliant, wind-defying 64 a day earlier.

"I didn't expect to come out and play the same as I did yesterday because that was quite a round and it's very hard to replicate," the Englishman said.

"But I didn't take advantage of some of the opportunities I had and some of the bogeys I made were kind of weak bogeys. It's a tough course, they have made it very challenging."

The 2010 Rookie of the Year Manassero, twice a tour winner, was delighted with his round.

"This is a great spot to be in and it will be something new at the weekend," said the 18-year-old. "I have never led such a big event so it's going to be good fun and a great experience for me.

"It's a course where you have to be conservative and you can only attack at the right moment. Sometimes, though, you should take some risks and that's what I've done on the first two days and what I'll do the next two."

Westwood, who played in the same group as Quiros, was still in contention after shooting a 69 for 141.

(Editing by Ed Osmond)