Bradley Neil boosts card bid with eight birdies

Bradley Neil in action on the Old Course. Picture: Kenny Smith

Neil’s impressive haul came in the second round of the Challenge Tour’s Foshan Open, helping him card a second-round 69 to sit joint 11th on five-under. The Blairgowrie player was on course to be closer to the lead, held by home player Zhang Hui-lin, than seven shots until he dropped three shots in his final four holes at Foshan Golf Club.

Nonetheless, it was a good day’s work by Neil as the player currently ranked 13th in the Road to Oman attempts to stay in the top 15 after the end-of-season Grand Final in a fortnight’s time.

Grant Forrest, joint second in last week’s Hainan Open, also carded a 69 to jump into a tie for 23rd on three under, four ahead of Jack Doherty as he made the cut on the mark. Ross Kellett fell just the wrong side of that.

In Italy, McDonald backed up his opening 65 with a 69 to sit joint second on eight under in the Alps Tour Grand Final at Golf Club des Iles Borromees, near Milan.

The Ayrshireman, who started the day tied for the lead, signed for seven birdies, having made two eagles and five birdies in his opening effort.

On a day when Frenchman Maxime Radureau jumped into the lead on 11-under following a 63, Perth man Daniel Young added a 70 to his first-round 67 to sit eighth.

Elsewhere, Luke List moved ahead of first-round leader Justin Thomas after moving to nine under with a 67 in the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges in Korea.

On the LPGA Tour, Korean pair Jenny Shin and Eun-Hee Ji arrived at the halfway stage in the Swinging Skirts Taiwan Championship tied for the lead on seven under.