Mixed bag for Lothian aces on golf tours

Lloyd is still in the hunt in the BMW International Open on the European Tour, heading into today's third round in Munich lying in a tie for ninth just three shots off the lead.

He shot a second-round 66 to move to seven-under-par at the halfway stage, leading the Scottish challenge in the 1.8 million event by a shot from former Open champion Paul Lawrie and Scott Jamieson.

Dunbar's David Drysdale was also in position to launch a challenge heading into the final two rounds, lying five shots off the lead just outside the top 20. But Stephen Gallacher missed the cut by a shot after a second-round 70 left him on 143.

Closer to home, Elliot, the eldest of the Saltman brothers, was part of a total Lothians wipeout at the halfway stage in the Scottish Hydro Challenge.

Well placed after an opening 67 in the Challenge Tour event, he had two costly double-bogeys in his second-round 74 at Macdonald Spey Valley in Aviemore. One of the morning-starters, his one-under-par total looked for most of the day as it would earn a spot in the final two rounds.

But, right at the death the cut moved to two-under, leaving Saltman facing an early journey back down the A9. That was also the story for Shaun McAllister (145), John Gallagher (146), Mark Kerr (146), Ross Dixon (148) and Neil Fenwick (156).

At the top of the leaderboard, Chris Doak held on to his lead after a 68, with fellow Team Scottish Hydro members Gavin Dear and Craig Lee also in contention heading into the final two rounds.

On the PGA EuroPro Tour, Harper had cause for both celebration and disappointment at The Rusty's Travel Classic at Longhirst Hall in Northumberland.

The former Scottish Boy's champion looked set to join James Busby and Matthew Clark in a play-off but bogeyed the last to finish third. Clark won the 10,000 first prize after edging out Busby in the first hole of the shoot-out.