Luke Guthrie will take a four-shot lead into the weekend at the BMW Masters after carding a battling one-under 71 on another windy day in Shanghai.

The young American, who is playing his first European Tour event, was unable to reproduce the heroics of his first day, when he posted a round of 65, but still retains a healthy advantage over his nearest rivals after mixing five birdies with four bogeys to move to eight under par.

The chasing pack is led by the English duo of Paul Casey and Simon Dyson, who would have closed the gap on Guthrie were it not for a double bogey on the finishing hole.