McLeary aiming for back to back wins

By GORDON SIMPSON
Peterhead-born Jamie McLeary today stepped up his bid to become the first back to back champion on the European Challenge Tour this season – then revealed he had celebrated his first victory at the weekend by going home to do the washing!
McLeary, who won the Scottish Hydro Challenge at Aviemore, moved within a shot of the lead at the halfway stage of the SK Golf Challenge at Linna Golf in Finland and admitted: “I didn’t exactly push the boat out.
“I promised my gran and granddad in Perth that I would stop off and visit them on my way home and they were excited to get photos taken with the trophy. Then it was a case of getting home, doing the washing and flying out to Helsinki.”
The 28 year old from Edinburgh, who fired a 71 for a five under par total of 139, lies one behind Portugal’s José-Filipe Lima going into the second successive weekend where he has a chance of winning and climbing the Challenge Tour Rankings.
Victory last weekend helped him move from 57th to 11th and the cheque for €28,000 this Sunday would propel him into the top five and a near certainty to collect his European Tour card for the 2010 season.
“The season is all about getting that card, but winning last weekend was brilliant” he added. “In the past I’ve played to make the cut but now I feel I am playing to win. The feeling of being in contention last week was great and I want more of that this weekend.”
Fellow Scot Lloyd Saltman had seven birdies in a brilliant round of 68 which left him three shots off the lead on 141 while Raymond Russell made the cut on one under par after rounds of 71 and 72. George Murray and Andrew McArthur also ensured a weekend engagement on 144 and 145 respectively.

SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
138 J Lima (Por) 70 68,
139 J McLeary (Sco) 68 71, J Guerrier (Fra) 71 68, R Steiner (Aut) 72 67,
140 C Gane (Eng) 70 70, R Kakko (Fin) 71 69, F Praegant (Aut) 71 69, A Ahokas (Fin) 66 74, R Coles (Eng) 71 69, J Olesen (Den) 67 73,
141 T Dykes (Wal) 70 71, N Colsaerts (Bel) 70 71, L Saltman (Sco) 73 68, G Boyd (Eng) 70 71, M Zions (Aus) 72 69, J Clément (Sui) 69 72, J Quesne (Fra) 73 68,
142 C Moriarty (Irl) 73 69, R McEvoy (Eng) 71 71, R Davies (Wal) 66 76, R Karlberg (Swe) 73 69, S Surry (Eng) 69 73, J Arruti (Esp) 71 71, A Rocha (Bra) 72 70, Å Nilsson (Swe) 72 70, P Whiteford (Sco) 71 71, M Ilonen (Fin) 69 73, J Morrison (Eng) 72 70, B Evans (Eng) 70 72,
143 P Erofejeff (Fin) 72 71, M Wiegele (Aut) 73 70, G Houston (Wal) 70 73, O Floren (Swe) 69 74, M Tullo (Chi) 71 72, R Russell (Sco) 71 72, J Larsen (Nor) 71 72, R Santos (Por) 70 73,
144 J Sandelin (Swe) 71 73, A Tampion (Aus) 72 72, M Higley (Eng) 72 72, G Murray (Sco) 70 74, J Granberg (Fin) 72 72, G Molteni (Ita) 73 71, I Pyman (Eng) 70 74, P Gustafsson (Swe) 74 70,
145 E Molinari (Ita) 72 73, J Abbate (Arg) 71 74, N Lemke (Swe) 70 75, E Ramsay (Sco) 72 73, A McArthur (Sco) 70 75, J Moul (Eng) 73 72, C Carranza (Arg) 71 74, J Kaske (am) (Fin) 71 74,
146 A Willey (Eng) 76 70, P Baker (Eng) 72 74, L Gagli (Ita) 74 72, M Haastrup (Den) 74 72, B Pettersson (Swe) 77 69, R Saxton (Ned) 75 71, D Hewan (RSA) 76 70, A Perrino (Ita) 73 73, R Treis (Ger) 74 72, Z Scotland (Eng) 70 76, M Korhonen (Fin) 73 73, A Marshall (Eng) 72 74, D Nouailhac (Fra) 72 74, P Bocian (Swe) 75 71, J Grillon (Fra) 74 72, T Whitehouse (Eng) 73 73, S Jamieson (Sco) 72 74,
147 C Brazillier (Fra) 77 70, K Edberg (Swe) 73 74, I Giner (Esp) 72 75, A Högberg (Swe) 74 73, M Delpodio (Ita) 77 70, M McGeady (Irl) 73 74, A Zanini (Ita) 69 78, F Colombo (Ita) 73 74, B Mason (Eng) 71 76, S Manley (Wal) 72 75, B Wiesberger (Aut) 76 71, A Bernadet (Fra) 72 75, A Sjöstrand (Swe) 74 73, D Denison (Eng) 75 72, M Ervasti (Fin) 74 73, V Riu (Fra) 73 74, P Barth (Swe) 79 68,
148 M Larsson (Swe) 76 72, C Günther (Ger) 73 75, S Robinson (Eng) 75 73, R De Sousa (Sui) 74 74, L Matthews (Wal) 72 76, J Bjerhag (Swe) 74 74, L Kennedy (Eng) 74 74, F Calmels (Fra) 73 75,
149 C Smith (Wal) 76 73, N Smith (USA) 75 74, T Cruz (Por) 75 74, M Reale (Ita) 73 76, A Wagner (Arg) 76 73, C Suneson (Esp) 74 75, N Meitinger (Ger) 73 76, D Griffiths (Eng) 76 73, J Parry (Eng) 73 76,
150 L Johansson (Swe) 75 75, J Ruebotham (Eng) 73 77, S Garcia-Grout (Esp) 77 73, P Golding (Eng) 74 76, A Bossert (Sui) 73 77, A Butterfield (Eng) 78 72, L Bond (Wal) 74 76, P Purhonen (Fin) 74 76, G Adell (Swe) 72 78, T Hakula (am) (Fin) 77 73, T Pulkkanen (am) (Fin) 76 74,
151 N Vanhootegem (Bel) 75 76, B Miarka (Ger) 75 76, K Jorgensen (Den) 75 76, A Bruschi (Ita) 76 75, K Samooja (am) (Fin) 76 75,
152 G Paddison (Nzl) 77 75, J Wahlqvist (Swe) 75 77, J Ruth (Eng) 77 75, T Tuovinen (Fin) 76 76,
153 J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 75 78, A Hansen (Den) 76 77, J Sjöholm (Swe) 76 77, K Hallgren (Swe) 74 79,
154 J Mommo (Fin) 75 79, P Relecom (Bel) 74 80, D Küpper (Ger) 78 76, O Suhr (Den) 76 78, C Rodiles (Esp) 75 79, R Swane (Ned) 78 76, F Svanberg (Sui) 76 78,
155 K Sullivan (Wal) 77 78, M Kramer (Ger) 82 73,
156 T Laitto (Fin) 80 76, C Russo (Fra) 81 75, S Reale (Ita) 80 76, L James (Eng) 78 78, I Garcia Avis (Esp) 76 80,
157 J Thureson (Swe) 80 77,
158 T Sundström (Fin) 75 83, M Veijalainen (am) (Fin) 78 80,
159 T Karjalainen (Fin) 76 83, S Jeppesen (Swe) 75 84,
160 D Sugrue (Irl) 79 81, A Murtovaara (am) (Fin) 84 76,
161 B Clayton (Eng) 83 78,
162 J Person (Pol) 80 82,
164 M Pilkington (Wal) 80 84,
165 T Pollari (Fin) 80 85,
167 M Stelmasiak (Pol) 86 81,
** L Brovold (Nor) 77 W/D, S Grant (Irl) 82 RETD,