Solid 69 keeps Gary Orr well placed in race for European Tour card

AS Tano Goya, Carly Booth’s Argentine boyfriend, continued to set the pace, Helensburgh veteran Gary Orr maintained his solid start at the European Tour Qualifying School in Girona. Fifth in the six-round marathon at PGA Catalunya 12 months ago, 45-year-old Orr followed up his opening 67 on the Tour Course with a three-under 69 over the Stadium Course.

Sitting on six-under for the event, he was in a five-way tie for second, one behind Goya, who added a 71 to his spectacular opening effort of 64 on Saturday. “I’m very happy with my score because I didn’t hit many fairways today,” said Goya, who caddied for Booth when she won the Swiss Open in June – her second success of the season on the Ladies European Tour.

Goya, who pipped Callum Macaulay to win the Madeira Island Open in 2009, is back trying to regain his playing rights after finishing 123rd in this season’s Race to Dubai. “I haven’t been playing well lately, so being here is a consequence of that and I have to accept it,” he added. “But I have a chance here and I’ll try to make the most of it, so that I can get back playing where I know I belong.”

Despite having two double-bogeys on his second-round card, Fifer George Murray is tied for seventh on five-under, while Alastair Forsyth’s 65 – one of the best day-two efforts – catapulted him up to joint 20th on two under.

Jamie McLeary, one of the stage two winners, is tied for 33rd on one-under, just ahead of Macaulay, who has opened with a brace of 71s. After trimming eight shots off his first effort with a 68, former PGA champion Scott Drummond is tied for 66th on two over, followed by Raymond Russell (three over), Andrew McArthur (five over) and Carly’s brother Wallace Booth (six over).

• Australian teenager Jake Higginbottom became the first amateur to win the New Zealand Open since Harry Berwick in 1956, closing with a five-under-par 67 for a one-stroke victory. The 19-year-old also become the second amateur winner in the last three Australasian Tour events.

Higginbottom finished at seven-under 281 on the Clearwater course. Australia’s Jason Norris and Peter Wilson tied for second. Norris shot a 66 and Wilson had a 68.