Swede dreams at Castle Stuart
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FIRST round leader Francesco Molinari has been joined at the top of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open leaderboard by Sweden’s Alexander Noren at the halfway stage.
Italian Molinari followed his opening 62 with a 70, joining surprise package Noren who matched his first round 66 with six birdies and an eagle at the 6
Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez is just one off the lead after experiencing a somewhat unusual lie after his approach shot to the 13 green.
Gonzalez’ second shot landed in a lady spectator’s rucksack and lodged itself in an open crisp packet, prompting the South American to cheekily pick the ball out and take a crisp out before eating it.
Irishman Shane Lowry birdied his first three holes and ended up on -9.
Italian teenager Matteo Manassero is hot on the heels of his compatriot Molinari after five birdies in six holes took him to a 64 and eleven under.
Best placed Scot is Peter Whiteford, whose 65 included a hole-in-one at the 168-yard 11. That feat would have landed him 168 bottles of champagne but for the fact that Englishman Andrew Johnston got their first by acing the hole in Thursday’s first round.
The only other home players expected to beat the projected -4 cut are Martin Laird (-6), Marc Warren (-6), Alastair Forsyth (-5) and Steven O’Hara (-4), with Ryder Cup hopeful Paul Lawrie’s 69 not enough to get him in at -2.
