ELLIOT SALTMAN STAYS IN HUNT BUT OTHER SCOTS SLIP

Elliot Saltman has stayed up with the Africa Open leaders, thanks to a second-round, two-under-par 71 today for a 36-hole tally of eight-under-par 138 at East London Golf Club on the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

The 28-year-old Scot, who is attached to Archerfield Links in his native Lothians, birdied the two early par-5s, the first and third, before dropping a shot at the fifth but he birdied the eighth to be out in two-under 35. Elliot birdied another long hole, the 11th and then the 14th before a weak finish cost him at least a share of the lead. He bogeyed the short 17th and also the long 18th for 36 home and a 71.
Elliot, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, will start the second half of the tournament in seventh place, an outstanding performance for the rookie from the Lothians.
But younger brother Lloyd slipped badly with a 76, eight shots worse than his sparkling first round, for 144 - beating the cut by two shots.
Lloyd had six bogeys in halves of 40 and 36 - at the first, second, third, eighth, 16th and 18th. His only birdies came at the 11th and 12th.
Lloyd, who dropped to joint 42nd position, was not the only Scot to lose the plot on Day 2 after looking good in the first round.
Marc Warren slipped from 71 to 75 and Alastair Forsyth from 70 to 76. Both beat the cut with nothing to spare in joint 61st place.
The other Scottish qualifier was Motherwell's Steven O'Hara with steady rounds of 72 and 71 for 143 and a share of 26th place.
Scots for whom the tournament is over are David Drysdale (79 for 149), Scott Jamieson (82 for 153), George Murray (78 for 159) and Scott Drummond (83 for 161). The normally consistent Drysdale was eight over par for the 14 holes from the fourth to the 18th.

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Miles Tunnicliff chipped in on the final hole to take one-third share of the halfway lead on a windy day.
The 42 year old Malaga-based Englishman from Leamington Spa,is playing on a sponsor's invite after losing his European Tour card last year - he agonisingly failed to keep at Qualifying School by one shot.
And with that birdie at the last the two-time European Tour winner reached ten under par to sit alongside South African Branden Grace and Austrian Markus Brier - who finished one shot ahead of Tunnicliff at November's Qualifying School to retain his playing privileges.
Having opened with a 67 - one behind overnight leader Brandon Pieters - Tunnicliff led for most of the day after racing out of the blocks with five consecutive birdies.
His progress was checked somewhat by bogeys at the sixth and ninth, but he retrieved those shots with further gains on the 11th and 12th, although he had consecutive dropped shots at the 15th and 16th before his heroics at the last.
Grace had six birdies and two bogeys in his round of 69, while Brier joined him on ten under with an eventful 66 that included an eagle, eight birdies and three dropped shots.
Open champion Louis Oosthuizen charged into a share of fourth, alongside Jaco Van Zyl and Ross McGowan, helped by a chip in for birdie at the ninth and five footer two holes later as he completed a six under 67.
World No 14 and one of the home favourites for the title, Retief Goosen, was the biggest name among those who failed to beat the cut at 147. He had rounds of 75 and 73 for 148 and was joint 87th at the end of 36 holes.
Another South African who had a miserable day was first-round leader Brandon Pieters. He slumped from a pacemaking 66 in the first round to a 77 in the second for a 143 tally.


HALFWAY LEADERBOARD
Par 146 (2x73)
136 Branden Grace (S Africa) 67 69, Markus Brier (Austria) 70 66, Miles Tunnicliff (England) 67 69.
137 Jaco Van Zyl (S Africa) 67 70, Louis Oosthuizen (S Africa) 70 67, Ross McGowan (England) 68 69.
138 Elliot Saltman (Scotland) 67 71.
139 Charl Schwartzel (S Africa) 69 70, Fredrik Ohlsson (Sweden) 67 72, Manuel Quiros (Spain) 71 68.

SCOTS' SCORES
143 Steven O'Hara 72 71 (jt 26th).
144 Lloyd Saltman 68 76 (jt 42nd).
146 Marc Warren 71 75, Alastair Forsyth 70 76 (jt 61st).

SCOTS WHO MISSED THE CUT (146 or better qualified)
149 David Drysdale 70 79.
153 Scott Jamieson 71 82.
159 George Murray 81 78.
161 Scott Drummond 78 83.

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