Craig Lee '˜hurt' by sore second-day finish in Kenya

Craig Lee played 32 holes without a bogey in the Barclays Kenya Open before dropping three shots in his last four holes. Picture: Jane Barlow

In his first competitive outing since last October, the Stirling man had got himself close to the lead after moving to eight-under-par at Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi.

Having opened with a flawless 67, he hadn’t put a foot wrong either for the first 14 holes in the second circuit, which started with an eagle-3 at the 10th.

However, Lee then ran up a double-bogey 6 at the sixth, partially repaired that damage with a birdie at the next before finishing bogey-bogey.

It left the 39-year-old having to settle for a level-par 71 and a four-under total, sitting eight shots off the lead, held by Frenchman Adrien Saddier.

“It was bit tricky to get the yardage right today due to it being cooler and the ball not flying as far, but I played quite nicely again on the front nine,” said Lee.

“I then missed four putts on the trot - at two, three, four and five - before making double down sixth, which wasn’t brilliant.

“I’m a long way off the lead, especially the way I finished today - that is going to hurt quite a bit going into the weekend.”

Chris Doak is two shots closer to the leader after backing up his first-day 66 with a 70, which contained four birdies.

“It was a bit up and down today,” said the 39-year-old Livingston-based player. “I hit a few bad shots and also didn’t really take advantage of the good ones I hit.”

Joining Doak and Lee in making the cut in the opening event of the 2017 Challenge Tour season were Bradley Neil and David Law.

They are both sitting on two-under - Neil having posted an excellent four-under 67 while Law shot 69, with each carding eagle-3s at the 10th.

Ross Kellett was the odd man out among the five Scots in the field, missing the cut by four shots after rounds of 75 and 71.

Saddier moved to the top of the leaderboard as he made an eagle and seven birdies in a sensational 62.

He sits a shot ahead of Finn Kalle Samooja (66), with Edinburgh-born Welshman Rhys Davies a stroke further back after his 67.