Wright clinging on to his lead

WEST LINTON’S Gareth Wright is still out in front but has Greig Hutcheon and Andrew McArthur breathing down his neck heading into the final round of the Optical Express 54-hole Order of Merit event at Dundonald Links.

Four clear after a spectacular opening 63 in Ayrshire, Wright signed for a 71 in yesterday’s second round for a ten-under-par total of 134.

He leads by one from Hutcheon, the Tartan Tour No 1 two seasons ago, and Challenge Tour player McArthur after they both made moves with four-under-par 67s.

Wright, the Edinburgh-based Welshman, got off to another flying start, following a birdie at the third with an eagle-3 at the long fifth.

He dropped his first shot of the event at the sixth then let another one slip two holes later before coming home in level par. Former Northern Open champion Hutcheon stormed home in five-under to step up his challenge, while McArthur, winner of last year’s Paul Lawrie Invitational event at Deeside, bagged six birdies in his matching second-round effort.

Chris Doak, another former Tartan Tour Order of Merit winner, also shot a 67 to move into fourth on 138, a shot ahead of both Jack Doherty (70) and Stephen Gray (72).

European Tour player Steven O’Hara is tied for seventh on 140 after a 72, but Craig Lee is down in a share of 25th spot after he signed off with a triple-bogey 8 in his 78.

Fraserburgh’s Kris Nicol is the leading rookie in the field, sitting joint-tenth on 141 following a 71.