Graham Gordon comes out of

slump to lead by one shot

Aberdonian Graham Gordon, Scottish amateur champion and Walker Cup player in his boom year of 2003, has emerged out of a long form slump to lead the field with a five-under-par tally of 139 with one round to play in this week's Ivobank PGA EuroPro Tour event, the Stoke by Nayland Championship at the Suffolk club.
Gordon, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, tagged on a 69 to his opening round of 70 to establish a one-shot lead over Englishman Matthew Ford.
The Scot had a fairly undistinguished outward half of 36 with a birdie at the first being cancelled out with a bogey at the eighth. But he got back in the groove with a bogey free inward half of 33, highlighted with birdies at the 11th, 13th and 15th.
The only other Scots to beat the cut at six-over-par 150 were Steven Mackie (Dunnikier Park) and Callum Nicoll (Prestwick), both on 146. Mackie has had rounds of 71 and 75. He lost the plot on the inward holes in his second round, dropping shots at the 11th, 13th, 14th and 16th with only one birdie, at the 15th, to lessen the damage.
Nicoll did it the other way round. After an opening 75, he improved by four shots for his 146 tally.

LEADING QUALIFIERS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
139 G Gordon (Sco) 70 69.
140 M Ford (Eng) 71 69.
141 N Harris (Eng) 72 69, J Harris (Eng) 70 71.
Other qualifiers:
146 S Mackie (Sco) 71 75, C Nicoll (Sco) 75 71.
MISSED THE CUT (150 or better)
153 P Doherty (Sco) 80 73, N Mitchell (Sco) 75 78.
165 E Cameron (Sco) 87 78.
Retired - C McCalman (Sco) 77 -.