EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR

WHITEFORD FALLS BACK WITH A 73 BUT
STILL LEADING SCOT IN SWEDEN
Kirkcaldy’s Peter Whiteford, pictured right, slipped down the leaderboard with a second-round 73 to be in joint 17th place on 141 in the Telia Challenge Waxholm European Challenge Tour event in Sweden today.
Peter’s opening 68 had raised hopes of a high finish but now the Scot will have to work hard to get back into the top 10 over the final 36 holes at the weekend.

Argentina’s Rafael Echenique continued his domination of the event with a 68 for 13-under-par 206, which give hims a three-shot lead from Welshman Kyron Sullivan and four-stroke advantage over third-placed Felipe Aguilar from Chile.

Sullivan is remarkably calm for a man who has narrowly missed out on a place on European Tour via the Challenge Tour Rankings for the past two consecutive seasons.

As the season reaches its final stage, Sullivan, currently 11th on the Rankings, is once more in the precarious position of potentially losing out on a chance to join the European Tour for the third year in a row, but he refuses to even entertain a single negative thought when looking at his position.

“It’s all in my hands as far as I am concerned,” said Sullivan. “It’s all there for me to do well or mess up, but I’m not even thinking about it. All I know is that I am playing well at a good time of the season to do so, and if I can have a couple more really good finishes before the end of the season then I will get my card this year.”

Scottish Challenge winner at Murcar, Englishman Sam Walker is sharing 12th place on 140.
Whiteford is still the top Scot in joint 17th place on 141 – one shot ahead of Andrew McArthur who had a 69 for 142 and a share of 31st place.
David Patrick, the only other Scot in the field, is in joint 62nd place after a 73 for 144.
HOW THEY STAND
133 (-13) Rafael Echenique (Arg) 65 68.
136 Kyron Sullivan (Wal) 69 67.
137 Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 69 68.
Other scores:
140 (jt 12th) Sam Walker (Eng) 74 66.
141 (jt 17th) Peter Whiteford (Sco) 68 73.
142 (jt 31st) Andrew McArthur (Sco) 73 69.
144 (jt 62nd) David Patrick (Sco) 71 73.