Gallacher in touch as he leads home contingent

Published on Friday 9 July 2010 20:28

OF THE 14 Scots who started out at Loch Lomond, only five made it to the weekend, with Stephen Gallacher retaining his place at the head of the home contingent despite a second-round 73 that dropped him back to two-under for the tournament.

A double-bogey 6 at the second, where his hand slipped off the club, did the damage but the 34-year-old has now made the cut in 14 of the last 15 events as he prepares to make a first Open Championship appearance in five years at St Andrews next week.

"I didn't play too great today but got it round and I'm pleased to still be up there and in with a shout," said Gallacher, who will set out in today's third round looking for a repeat of the form that saw him shoot 63s in both Wales and Germany within the past month.

Martin Laird, who tied for sixth on his debut in the event last year, is on level-par after a second successive 71, which would have been a lot better but for a double-bogey 7 at the long sixth.

Laird, who lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, was probably the only player in the field who didn't seem to mind the appalling morning weather. Asked if he was missing his adopted home, he said: "No, because it is probably 100F there right now - so this is quite nice!"

While Laird's long game isn't where he'd like it to be going into next week's Open Championship, he is happy with his short game. "I'm struggling a bit tee to green, but made four or five really good up and downs, including a chip in for par on the 16th," he reported. "Without chipping it well today I would probably have been five or six-over."

Also on level-par is Craig Lee, who got into the event as the Tartan Tour No 1. A recent winner on the PGA EuroPro Tour, Lee made his second European Tour cut of the season - he also played in the final two rounds in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth - with a spirited 72 that included two birdies in his last six holes.

Richie Ramsay, who had a 74, and David Drysdale, who shot a 72, are both on one-over, the latter extending his good run in the event by holing a 25-footer for a birdie at the 17th and then getting up and down for his par at the last after seeing his tee shot land in a divot.

"I had rough idea the cut was going to be two-over," said Drysdale. "I was cruising along and then took the wrong club on the 14th. I tried to manufacture a shot under the tree but hit a branch and ended up in the hazard, making a double. But I played some good shots after that and it was a good birdie at the 17th."