CHRIS DOAK LYING FIFTH AFTER SECOND-ROUND 66

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR REPORT
 From NEIL AHERN

Chris Doak stormed into contention for a second 

successive European Challenge Tour title after the 

Greenock man carded a six under par second round 

of 66 to move to within three shots of the lead at the 

D+D Real Czech Challenge Open.

Doak claimed his maiden title at last week’s ALLIANZ 

Open de Lyon after beating Dutchman Tim Sluiter in 

a  play-off and he continued that form into this week 

as he moved to nine under for the tournament going 

into the weekend at Kunetická Hora Golf Club.

Doak opened with a birdie to instantly build 

momentum after an opening round of 69 left him 

five  shots off the pace and he gained three more 

shots with birdies at the sixth, seventh and ninth to 

reach the turn in four under par.

He exchanged a birdie and a bogey at the 11^th and 12^th, respectively, before the 34 year old chipped in from 10 yards for an eagle at the par five 16^th hole to move right into contention.

“It’s just solid golf really,” said Doak. “I’m much better mentally at the moment and therefore you become better on the technical side of things too.

“I've had my new caddy for the last four tournaments and it definitely helps having someone experienced on the bag.

“I have put last week in the past a little bit but obviously you get a lot of confidence from winning. I just know I’m playing well right now and I just have to keep doing the things I’m doing, the things I did last week.

“When I’m on the range now and on the putting green I’m just keeping the same routine week on week.

“I’ve been using a new Nike putter since I played in Austria on The European Tour and I’ve played well ever since I started using it. It’s been a combination of things. It’s great to win but there is still a job to be done this season.”

Andreas Hartø stormed into the lead after the second round as a five under par 67 put him in pole position for a third European Challenge Tour title at Kunetická Hora Golf Club. 
The towering Dane is now eyeing up the Number One spot in the Challenge Tour Rankings as victory at the €160,000 event, in Drítec close to Prague, would elevate him to the summit ahead of current leader Gary Lockerbie. 
Hartø, who won twice in 2010 including a Challenge Tour debut victory as an amateur at his home tournament the ECCO Tour Championship hosted by Thomas Björn and Mercedes Benz, has already guaranteed himself a return to The European Tour next year after an extremely consistent season thus far. 
He has not yet managed that third win, however, but took one step closer at the Graham Marsh-designed course in the Czech Republic after making a perfect start with back to back birdies at the opening two holes. 
A bogey at the third knocked him back but only briefly as he embarked on a run of four successive birdies from the sixth hole - bombarding the pins with all of his birdie putts within 10 feet - to reach the turn in five under par.

After holing out from the bunker for par at the 11^th and a bogey on the 12^th hole, Hartø bounced back in typically determined fashion when he knocked his tee shot stone dead at the par three 13^th for a tap-in birdie before five pars on the way home moved him into a one-shot lead on twelve under.

“I got off to a great start again,” said Hartø. “I played solid and made some good putts on the front nine but didn’t really get it going on the back nine and missed a few putts coming in.

“It could have been better but I will always take a five under round. It was just good shots all of the way through, especially on that run of four birdies.”

The 24 year old admitted that he couldn’t but notice his position on the leaderboard throughout the day and is also aware that he could move to the top of the Rankings with a win this week, but is keen to stay focussed and keep his momentum going into the weekend.

“I have a hard time not looking at the leaderboard to be honest,” said the Copenhagen native. “There is still plenty of golf left in this tournament but it was another good round.

“A win, and the top of the Rankings, is 36 holes away and we’ll see what happens when the week is over. All I'm looking for is a good result here so I can be sure of a top ten (Rankings) finish.

“I'm playing pretty well and if I can keep on doing that I’ll be alright. It would be nice to go into next week (the Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Challenge hosted by Royal Golf Club), at a home tournament, able to relax a little more.”

Hartø’s compatriot Anders Schmidt Hansen and Englishman Steven Tiley were a shot back as they both carded five under par rounds of 67 to share second place.

Max Kieffer, meanwhile, called it one of the best rounds of his career as the Dusseldorf man soared to a stunning course-record 63 to move to within two shots of the lead.

Since winning the season-opening Gujarat Kensville Challenge last January, Kieffer’s season has not quite lived up to early expectations but he has remained consistent and currently sits in 27^th place in the Rankings.

A big finish to the season is needed, however, if he is to earn a Rookie season on The European Tour and he gave his 2012 campaign a timely boost as his nine under par second round launched him 44 places up the leaderboard into fourth spot.

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)

132 A Hartø  (Den) 65 67

133 A Hansen  (Den) 66 67, S Tiley (Eng) 66 67

134 M Kieffer (Ger) 71 63

135 C Doak (Sco) 69 66

136 D Vancsik (Arg) 71 65, M Korhonen (Fin) 66 70, R Dinwiddie  (Eng) 64 72, J Hansen  (Den) 67 69, R Hjelm (Den) 67 69

137 O Lieser (Cze) 68 69, A Levy (Fra) 66 71, C Russo (Fra) 71 66, G Houston (Wal) 69 68

138 J Parry (Eng) 71 67, M Madsen  (Den) 68 70, B Åkesson (Swe) 70 68, V Riu  (Fra) 67 71, A Domingo (Esp) 69 69, A Velasco (Esp) 68 70, A Tadini (Ita) 67 71, R Russell (Sco) 69 69, J Guerrier  (Fra) 71 67, D Gaunt (Aus) 71 67

139 R Nechanicky (Cze) 70 69, E Kofstad (Nor) 70 69, L Jensen (Den) 71 68, S Benson (Eng) 67 72, J McLeary  (Sco) 69 70, R Kakko  (Fin) 71 68, G Stal  (Fra) 69 70, C Aguilar  (Esp) 69 70, P Oriol (Esp) 71 68, C Macaulay  (Sco) 69 70

140 A Otaegui  (Esp) 69 71, A Bernadet  (Fra) 68 72, M Crespi  (Ita) 70 70, B Parker  (Eng) 68 72, F McGuirk  (Eng) 70 70, M Nixon (Eng) 71 69, B Chapellan (Fra) 75 65, S Wakefield (Eng) 72 68

141 A Snobeck  (Fra) 72 69, A Engell  (Nor) 69 72, C Aronsen  (Nor) 72 69, B Ritthammer (Ger) 68 73, T Hatton (Eng) 72 69, J Huldahl (Den) 69 72, S Jeppesen  (Swe) 67 74, C Suneson (Esp) 70 71, R Steiner (Aut) 70 71,

142 L Kennedy  (Eng) 71 71, M Southgate  (Eng) 69 73, Å Nilsson (Swe) 72 70, S Hutsby  (Eng) 71 71, H Bacher (Aut) 69 73, M Prihoda (Cze) 69 73, A McArthur  (Sco) 68 74, D Brooks (Eng) 71 71, M Tullo (Chi) 73 69, F Mruzek (Cze) 69 73,

MISSED THE CUT

143 C Brazillier  (Fra) 70 73, J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 71 72, E Pepperell (Eng) 73 70, K Benz (Sui) 72 71, P Dwyer (Eng) 72 71, S Henry  (Sco) 72 71, M Ford (Eng) 70 73, A Gee  (Eng) 72 71, A Bossert (Sui) 68 75, C Lloyd (Eng) 71 72

144 F Delamontagne  (Fra) 71 73, S Buhl (Ger) 72 72, P Archer (Eng) 74 70, F Praegant (Aut) 70 74

145 M Delpodio  (Ita) 72 73, M Novy  (Cze) 71 74, O Henningsson  (Swe) 71 74, P Uihlein  (USA) 72 73, D Ulrich (Sui) 69 76, R Echenique (Arg) 75 70, S O'Hara  (Sco) 72 73, A Perrino  (Ita) 72 73, K Eriksson (Swe) 75 70, T Remkes (Ned) 72 73

146 J Walters (RSA) 73 73, J Busby (Eng) 76 70, S Matus  (Cze) 71 75, C Gane (Eng) 75 71, J Zvarik (am) (Svk) 74 72,

147 P Baker (Eng) 75 72, J Senior (Eng) 72 75, C Ford (Eng) 70 77

148 M Haines  (Eng) 76 72, J Gibb (Eng) 78 70, V Novak (am) (Cze) 77 71

149 J Krejcar (Cze) 74 75, L Tintera  (Cze) 75 74, S Palenik  (Svk) 74 75, J Navarro (Esp) 77 72,

150 P Gal  (Cze) 78 72, L Saltman (Sco) 77 73, O Lebl (Cze) 79 71, B Barham (Eng) 77 73, P Svajlen (Svk) 73 77

152 P Nic (Cze) 72 80, Š Zach (am) (Cze) 80 72,

153 R Schovanek (Cze) 82 71, N Meitinger  (Ger) 75 78

155 J Stanislav (Cze) 79 76, J Heath  (Eng) 75 80

159 A Kaunas (Ltu) 77 82

162 D Strouf (am) (Cze) 81 81

168 P Dedek (am) (Cze) 83 85