James Byrne leads

Leven Gold Medal

by two strokes

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Banchory's James Byrne is on the trail of his third SGU 72-hole Order of Merit tournament victory before he returns to Arizona State University.

Byrne, pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, runaway winner of the four-round Tennant Cup and the East of Scotland Open, leads the Standard Life Leven Amateur Gold Medal by two shots at the halfway stage of the event, the oldest amateur stroke-play tournament in the world, organised by Leven Golfing Socity.

Byrne was trailing first-round leader and Walker Cup reserve Paul O'Hara (Colville Park) by one shot at the end of the first round but leapfrogged into the lead with a second-round 66 for a 36-hole tally of eight-under-par 134.

Mark Hillson (Craigielaw) shot a Saturday best with a second-round 65 - a six-shot improvement on the day - to be sharing second place with former Scottish amateur champion Glenn Campbell (Blairgowie) who has had a pair of 68s for 136.

Campbell has a definite liking for the Leven Links - he won the season-opening Scottish champion of champions event over the same course in April.

Peterhead's Philip McLean, another horses-for-courses competitor, is occupying fourth place on his own with scores of 68 and 68 for 137.

O'Hara, beaten at the 38th in the Allied Surveyors Scottish amateur championship at Royal Troon seven days earlier, slipped down from the pole position after Round 1 with a 67 to fifth place with a par-71 for 138.

Defending champion Keir McNicoll, beaten semi-finalist in the "Scottish," will need to produce a very low Sunday 36-hole aggregate - of which he is well capable - to climb up from eight shots behind Byrne overnight.

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS

Par 142 (2x71) CSS 72 72.
*44 players with totals of 148 or better qualified for Sunday’s third and fourth rounds.
134 James Byrne (Banchory) 68 66.
136 Mark Hillson (Craigielaw) 71 65, Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) 68 68.
137 Philip McLean (Peterhead) 69 68.
138 Paul O'Hara (Colville Park) 67 71.
139 Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 71 68, Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) 71 68, Paul Ferrier (Baberton) 68 71.
140 Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) 72 68, Fraser Fotheringham (Nairn) 69 71.
141 Ross Kellett (Colville Park) 70 71, Martin Brown (Monifieth) 69 72.
142 Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 73 69, Brian Soutar (Leven GS) 73 69, Paul Betty (Hayston) 72 70, Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) 70 72, Peter Latimer (St Andrews New) 69 73.
144 Richard Graham (Hayston) 74 70, Grant McNab (Leven Thistle) 74 70, Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe) 73 71, James White (Lundin) 72 72, Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) 72 72.
145 Nick Barr (Craigie Hill) 75 70, Brian Erskine (Ladybank) 74 71, Myles Cunningham (Craigielaw) 74 71, Graham Robertson (Glenbervie) 73 72, Ed Rankine (Leven Thistle) 73 72, Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) 73 72, Alex Main (Thornton) 71 74, Barry McDermott (Leven GS) 70 75.
146 Greg Nicholson (Mortonhall) 77 69, James Ross (Royal Burgess) 75 71, Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 75 71, Lewis Kirton (Newmachar) 74 72.
147 Chris Harkins (Ayr Belleisle) 73 74, Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) 73 74, Ed Wood (Crow Wood) 69 78.
148 Darren Gould (Ladybank) 75 73, Gary Tough (Letham Grange) 75 73, Kristofer Harper (Carnoustie) 75 73, Neil Henderson (Glen) 74 74, Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth) 72 76, Jimmy White (Leven Thistle), Aaron Sweeney (Carnoustie) 71 77.
MISSED THE CUT
149 Liam McGowan (St Andrews New) 76 73.
150 Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) 76 74, Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 73 77.
151Scott Crichton (Aberdour) 75 76, Gary Page (Balbirnie Park) 72 79.
152 Ross Bell (Downfield) 80 72, Andrew Wallace (Glenbervie) 77 75, John Miller (Gullane) 75 77, Sam Matton (Bowood) 75 77.
154 Jamie Mackay (Kilmarnock Barassie) 78 76, Mark Bookless (Sandyhills) 76 78.
155 Andrew Abercrombie (US) 82 73, Keith Shanks (US) 80 75, Stewart Smith (Downfield) 77 78, Michael Main (Thornton) 73 82, John Duff (Newmachar) 72 83.
156 Fraser Moore (Glenbervie) 83 73, John Shanks (Irvine Bogside) 81. 75, Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 79 77.
157 Aaron Howard (Murrayshall) 80 77.
159 George Finlay (Ballumbie Castle) 79 80.
160 Steven McEwan (Caprington) 82 78, Stephen Simants (Dunbar) 80 82.

163 James Hendrick (Pollok) 83 80, Daniel Lawrence (Ballumbie Castle) 78 85.

Retired James Bunch (Prestwick) 71 -.

Disqualified Derek Downey (Sutton), Steven Rennie (Drumpellier).