Golf: Scott Jamieson in position to make flying start to European Tour

• Scott Jamieson plays his second shot at the 14th during his round of 68 at Leopard Creek Picture: Getty

The 27-year-old Glaswegian bagged six birdies in a second-round 68 for a five-under total of 139 and a share of sixth spot, just four shots behind South African leader Anthony Michael.

Jamieson, who graduated to the top tier after finishing 14th on the Challenge Tour money-list last season, is now hoping he can secure a large chunk of the 800,000 pot on offer in the opening event of the 2011 European Tour campaign.

"It's a good start and I'm very happy with it," he said. "Hopefully I can produce more of the same in the next two rounds. I'm playing fairly solidly and I think there is better still to come.

"I've not really holed anything of note so far and if I can start doing that I feel there's a really low score there."

The former Scottish Boys' Stroke-play champion said he had benefited from preparing for the start of the new season - he's also in the field for next week's South African Open - by heading to America.

"I've not played a tournament since the Challenge Tour Grand Final in October," he added. "However, I managed to escape the bad weather by heading to Jacksonville in the States for a month.

"My fiancee lives there and being there will hopefully stand me in better stead than being at home in all the bad weather."

David Drysdale is just outside the top ten heading into the third round at Leopard Creek, a second successive 70 putting him in a tie for 12th on four-under.

Alan McLean also made the cut on level-par after a 74, but Peter Whiteford (76) and George Murray (78) both missed out on nine-over and 13-over respectively.

Michael, meanwhile, carded a three-under-par 69 yesterday to follow up his 66 on day one - although his second round was more up and down as it included three bogeys mixed amongst six birdies.

However, it was good enough to keep him top of the leaderboard, where his closest challenge was coming from a trio of players in countrymen Alex Haindl and Dawie Van der Walt, along with Englishman Robert Rock.

Haindl was particularly impressive storming his way around the course in a bogey-free six-under 66, a round that was set up by a set of eagles on the par-five 15th and par-five second along with two birdies.

135 Anthony Michael (Rsa) 66 69

137 Alex Haindl (Rsa) 71 66, Robert Rock (Eng) 67 70, Dawie Van Der Walt (Rsa) 67 70

138 Marius Thorp (Nor) 67 71

139 Neil Cheetham (Eng) 71 68, Thorbjorn Olesen (Den) 71 68, Keith Horne (Rsa) 68 71, Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 69 70, Pablo Martin (Spa) 69 70, Scott Jamieson (Sco) 71 68

140 Tjaart Van Der Walt (Rsa) 70 70, Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 68 72, David Drysdale (Sco) 70 70, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 70 70, James Kingston (Rsa) 69 71, David Howell Eng) 72 68

Missed cut:

147 Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 76 71; 153 Peter Whiteford (Sco) 77 76; 157 George Murray (Sco) 79 78