Gavin Dear, Steven Hume in

top 10 at Montecchia Open

The Perthshire pair of Gavin Dear and Steven Hume are both in the top 10 after two rounds of the Alps Tour’s Montecchia Open at Montecchia Golf Club near Padova, Italy.
Dear, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, who plays out of the Murrayshall Hotel & Golf Resort, near Perth had a second-round 68 for a six-under-par tally of 138 – four shots behind Englishman leader Adam Hodkinson (66-68).
Dear, who has recovered well from a double bogey 6 at the 10th in a first-round 70, birdied the fourth, fifth, 10th, long 12th and long 18th. His only dropped shot came at the 13th in halves of 34.
Hume, who also has a Murrayshall connection, did better than Dear in covering the outward half in three-under 33, thanks to an eagle 3 at the 547yd ninth and birdies at the fourth and fifth after dropping a shot at the second.
After the turn Hume balanced a dropped shot at the long 12th with a birdie at the 14th in matching the homeward par of 36.
Leader Hodkinson, 21, two years a pro, has yet to drop a shot in 36 holes over which he has picked up 10 birdies. He leads by one shot from Gregor Slabe (Slovakia) who has scored 68 and 67.
Forty-one players with 36-hole totals of par 144 or better beat the cut.
LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
134 Adam Hodkinson (Eng) 66 68.
135 Gregor Slabe (Slo) 68 67.
137 Neil Chaudhuri (Eng) 70 67
138 Gavin Dear (Sco) 70 68, Matteo Delpodio (Ita) 70 68, Roberrto Paolillo (Ita) 70 68, Claudio Blaesi (Swi) 69 69.
139 Jason Palmer (Eng) 69 70, Giorgio del Boca (Ita) 72 67k, Steven Hume (Sco) 70 69, Leo Astl (Aut) 70 69.