Gavin Dear surges through field with 66

APPEARING to have been energised by a return to home soil, Gavin Dear moved into contention behind fellow Team Scottish Hydro member Chris Doak at the halfway stage in the Scottish Challenge at Macdonald Spey Valley, the duo only being split on the leaderboard by late surges from Portuguese Jose-Filipe Lima, Italian Federico Colombo and Englishman Matthew Southgate.

Bidding for an in-house win - the 195,000 event is also sponsored by Scottish Hydro - Dear surged through the field with a five-under-par 66 for a total of 134, three behind compatriot Doak, who followed up his opening 63 with a 68 to retain pole position, a shot ahead of Lima with Colombo and Southgate, a former St Andrews Links Trophy winner, a further stroke adrift.

Lima, who birdied his last two holes, and Colombo, helped by an eagle-2 at the ninth, stepped up their challenges for a 31,500 top prize with 64s, matched in the penultimate group by Southgate, but a third successive Scottish victory in the event - Jamie McLeary lifted the title two years ago then George Murray 12 months ago - is a distinct possibility.

A member of Scotland's Eisenhower Trophy-winning team in 2008, Dear has had a torrid season so far and the Scone man arrived in the Highlands languishing 153rd in the rankings - the lowest of the five players receiving support for the first time this season under the Team Scottish Hydro banner. "It's nice to get a good score on the board because I have just had a wild year so far," said Dear after covering his last six holes in four-under to come home in 32. "I was ill in India, ill in Kenya, lost my clubs two weeks ago in France and didn't get them until I was leaving having missed the cut!"

His caddie this week is Steven Hume, the pair having come through the junior ranks at Murrayshall together before seeing their paths cross again last year on the third-tier Alps Tour, from which Dear graduated to the Challenge Tour this season.

"Steven has so many injuries - he has problems with his knee, his ankle, all sort of things - that he is actually going to get his amateur status back. But he can read greens so it's great for me," added Dear. "We have played golf together since we were about 14 so he knows everything there is to know about me and he's certainly not scared to criticise or offer advice."

On the best day of the week so far in the shadow of the Cairngorms, Doak had improved to 12-under after racing to the turn in 31 before running up a double-bogey at the 11th, where he was penalised for a wayward drive, then dropping another shot at the 15th. Two late birdies, however, kept last year's Scottish PGA champion at the head of affairs.

"It was much the same as yesterday apart from the driver going further right," said the 33-year-old, who is hoping some hillwalking with his dog, a mongrel called Herbie, in between rounds can keep him on course for the biggest win on his career.

Craig Lee, who tied for second in France last week to move to No 2 on the Challenge Tour rankings, made it three Scots in the top ten at the halfway stage after a 66, covering his last five holes three-under to raise hopes of a second win on the Aviemore course, where he lifted the Northern Open two years ago.

Of the 24 Scots who started out, only six are left standing, former Australian amateur champion Jack Doherty firing a second successive 69 to progress on four-under 138, one ahead of Tartan Tour No 1 Greig Hutcheon (72) and Andrew McArthur, last week's Paul Lawrie Invitational winner making progress up the leaderboard thanks to a 68.

Elliot Saltman, who had two double-bogeys in his 74, fell agonisingly short on one-under, while the other home casualties included former PGA champion Scott Drummond (143) and two-time European Tour winner Marc Warren (145). Playing with Warren, former Ryder Cup players Paul Broadhurst and Peter Baker also made early exits on 146.

Lima, who won the St Omer Open seven years ago and, more recently, claimed the Ecco Tour Championship on the second-tier circuit, is hoping his career is back on track after going through as many coaches last year as some players change their golf glove.

"I had a very bad year last year - I changed coaches five times before I finally went back to my first coach that I had when I was on the European Tour," said the French-based 29-year-old.

131 C Doak (Sco).

132 J Lima (Por).

133 F Colombo (Ita); M Southgate (Eng).

134 G Dear (Sco).

135 B Evans (Eng).

136 T Fleetwood (Eng); A Hansen (Den); L Canter (Eng); D Lloyd (RSA); C Russo (Fra); E Dubois (Fra); S Walker (Eng); C Lee (Sco); L Kennedy (Eng).

137 A Pavan (Ita). E Kofstad (Nor). B Barham (Eng); B kesson (Swe); S Hutsby (Eng); A Versfeld (RSA); A Marshall (Eng); L Jensen (Den); S Bebb (Wal); A Snobeck (Fra); C Carranza (Arg).

138 G Lockerbie (Eng); O Whiteley (Eng); G Adell (Swe); C Moriarty (Irl); J Doherty (Sco); S Tiley (Eng).

139 J Grillon (Fra); P Gustafsson (Swe); M Delpodio (Ita); D Perrier (Fra); R Santos (Por); A McArthur (Sco); J Estevez (Arg); R Wingardh (Swe); M Baldwin (Eng); R Hjelm (Den); D Vancsik (Arg); K Eriksson (Swe); E Bertheussen (Nor); J Van Der Vaart (Ned); G Hutcheon (Sco); S Davis (Eng); P Archer (Eng); S Little (Eng).