8am Round-Up: Scots charge into contention in Abu Dhabi

Scott Henry was three-under-par in his second round in the Challenge Tour Grand Final in Oman. Picture: Getty Images

Vikki Laing, Sally Watson and Kylie Walker had all moved into contention following morning thrusts at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.

Laing, who is sitting 76th on the LET money-list, covered her opening 12 holes in four-under to move to seven-under-par for the tournament.

It put her in joint-second, three shots behind England’s Georgia Hall, who was eight-under for the day with a hole to play.

Watson and Walker were both a shot further back after getting to three-under for their second rounds.

Gemma Dryburgh had already finished, adding a 73 to her opening 67 to sit on four-under.

All six Scots in the line-up - Pamela Prestwell and Carly Booth are the others - started the second day sitting inside the projected cut.

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Scott Henry came out fighting on the second day of the Challenge Tour’s NBO Golf Classic Grand Final in Oman.

The Clydebank man found himself sitting joint-last after an opening 75, which included two 7s on the back nine at Al Mouj Golf in Muscat.

But he was out in two-under 34 this morning before picking up a third birdie of the day to at the 12th - one of the holes he’d stumbled at in the first round.

Needing a win in the season-ending event to climb into the top 15 on the money-list and and secure a European Tour card, Henry’s opening effort had left him a mountain to climb.

He started out today nine shots off the lead, which was held by Englishman James Heath, Spaniard Pep Angles and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon.

Heath, of course, won the SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge at Macdonald Spey Valley in Aviemore earlier this year.

Duncan Stewart, who is guaranteed one of those European Tour cards, opened with a one-under-par 71 before dropping two shots in his first three holes this morning.

But, showing the same spirit that has enabled him to be one of the leading lights on the second-tier circuit this season, the Edinburgh-based player bounced back with four birdies in five holes.

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Former winner Martin Laird resumes his PGA Tour wraparound campaign in the Shriners Children for Hospitals Open starting in Las Vegas today.

The Scot, who claimed the title in 2009 before losing in a play-off to Jonathan Byrd 12 months later, has Korean Seung-Yul Noh and Spaniard Jon Rahm for company in his first two rounds at TPC Summerlin.

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Peebles player Darren Howie made a solid start in the 2016 Telegraph BMW Junior Championship at Quinta do Lago in Portugal.

This year’s Stephen Gallacher Foundation Trophy winner carded a one-over-par 73 to sit fourth after the opening round in the 54-hole event.

A course-record 66, which included nine birdies, earned England’s Harry Goddard a three-shot lead.

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Amateur duo Norman Dyce (Strathmore) and Jim Watt (Edzell) shared the top scratch spoils in the Midland Golfers’ Alliance at Kirriemuir.

The duo carded one-under 67s at the Angus venue to finish a shot ahead of Edzell assistant pro Mike MacKenzie and an amateur from the same club, Keith Bruce.