MCKECHNIE AND WARDROP SHARE LEAD AT LOSSIEMOUTH

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE PGA EUROPRO TOUR

By NICK TEALE

Daniel Wardrop and Paul McKechnie share a one-stroke lead going into the final round of the Grant Property Investment Championship, an 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour event on the Old Course at Moray Golf Club, Lossiemouth. 

A dream finish of birdie, eagle, birdie took McKechnie (Braid Hills Golf Centre) to seven under while Wardrop (Didsbury Golf Centre) started and finished with back-to-back birdies to claim his share of the lead on 135.

Heavy morning fog coming off the Moray Firth delayed play by one hour and 25 minutes on the second day of the tournament.

Despite carding four bogeys in his second round, Scot McKechnie - the first ever Order of Merit winner on the EuroPro Tour - signed for a 67 on day two at Lossie, with four birdies prior to those he shot at 16 and 18 on the par-71 course. 

Wardrop bogeyed the seventh, eighth and 15th on his way to a two-under-par second round, with a birdie at 14 as well as those on the first, second and the final two holes.

Will Roebuck (Woburn/Shirely Parsons Assc.) is one behind the leading pair on six under. He carded a five-under 66 on the opening day and added a 70 to that on Thursday to take his total to 136. 

Daniel Gavins, Richard Prophet and James Watts are tied fourth on five under, just two strokes behind McKechnie and Wardrop.

Overnight leader Graham Clark began his second round an six under and quickly moved that to eight better than par with birdies at the first and second. However, a triple bogey on the fifth and doubles at ten and 18 forced him to sign for a second-round 73, leaving him four under for the tournament

A cut to the leading 50 players plus ties has now been made, with the 55 golfers whose 36-hole score is two over par or better proceeding to play the final round on Friday (July 12). 

Spectator entry to the Lossiemouth course is free and Sky Sports will broadcast a two-hour highlights package from the event four times on Wednesday, July 24.

MORAY GOLF CLUB

Old Course, Lossiemouth

LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS

Par 142 (2x71)

135 Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) 68 67, Daniel Wardrop (Didsbury) 66 69

136 Will Roebuck (Woburn) 66 70

137 Daniel Gavins (Oulton Hall) 69 68, Richard Prophet (Sandwell Park) 68 69, James Watts (Kingsway) 67 70

SELECTED TOTALS

138 Kris Nicol (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 73 65 (T7)

139 Neil Fenwick (Dunbar) 70 68 (T10)

140 Elliot Saltman (Archerfield Links) 69 71 (T15)

141 Michael Patterson (Kilmacolm) 69 72 (T19)

142 Zack Saltman (Archerfield Links) 73 69, Gareth Wright (West Linton) 68 74, Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre) 71 71 (T26)

143 Paul Doherty (Vale Hotel) 70 73, Graeme Brown (Montrose Links) 71 72 (T39)

144 Jordan Findlay (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 75 69 (T49)

MISSED THE CUT
145 Chris Kelly (Cawder) 73 76, Paul Shields (Kirkhill) 74 71 (T56)

147 Jonathan Mullaney (unatt) 74 73, Ross McConnachie (Peterculter) 73 74 (T72)

148 Gavin Hay (Grantown on Spey) (am) 70 78, John Gallagher (Duddingston) 75 73 (T80)

149 Steven Mackie (Dunnikier Park) 77 72 (T88)

150 Andrew Rollo (Moray) 74 76, Gavin Dear (Noah's Ark) 75 75 (T98)

151 Iain Stoddart (Uphall) 76 75, Paul McGhee (East Renfrewshire) 76 75 (T112)

152 James Dick (Duddingston) 78 74, Gregor Ramsay (unatt) 77 75 (T119).

155 Mark Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy) 77 78 (T130)

158 Malcolm Isaacs (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 75 83 (T135).

162 Steven Mann (Aspire in Gold) 81 81 (T140).

163 Martin Lawrence (Newmachar) 75 88.

165 Eric Walker (Burntisland) 83 82.