SCOTTISH PGA CHAMPIONSHIP OVER KING'S COURSE

               Greg McBain .. Move to Kemnay paying off. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.
 
ARNOTT AND McBAIN SHARE TWO-

STROKE HALFWAY LEAD

Robert Arnott, winner of the inaugural P and H Championship a week or two ago, is back in the limelight again as joint halfway leader by two strokes with Greg McBain at the halfway stage of the Gleneagles Scottish PGA Championship over the King's Course at the Perthshire Ryder Cup venue.

Arnott, pictured right, who will be 51 at the end of July, has a conditional card for the European Senior Tour but
he is playing so well on the Tartan Tour that he should stay at home and make hay while the sun is shining.
The Bishopbriggs man's four-under-par 67 today gave him a  six-under halfway tally of 136. He had
 four bogeys in his first-round 69 - three of them in the first six holes - but it was a different story in the second round.Arnott birdied the fourth, long sixth, long 10th, 14th and long 18th with only one blemish, a 4 at the short 16th.
Said Arnott:

"I've not made many mistakes over the opening two days and recording what was probably the biggest win of my career at Dundonald last week has definitely been a confidence booster.

"I've been playing in this event for 20 years and you would love to win your national title but there are so many good players in Scotland and there are some quality names on this trophy.."

Aberdeen-born McBain, who will have his 30th birthday on May 18, is now playing out of Kemnay Golf Club, having been recruited by club pro David Brown.
McBain, a past winner of the Paul Lawrie Invitational at Deeside, has had the same scores as Arnott so far - a 69 followed by a 67 but for the first seven or eight holes in the second round thoughts of sharing the lead at the end of the day were far from his thoughts.
He bogeyed the first, birdied the sixth but then bogeyed the seventh. Then someone lit McBain's blue touch paper and he rocketed up the leaderboard by covering the last 10 holes in five under par.
McBain birdied the ninth, long 10th, 14th and then holed a 25ft eagle 3 putt at the last.
Said McBain:

"Since joining David Brown at Kemnay, it has freed up a lot more time for me to play and practise and my game is pretty good at the moment.

"I finished fourth behind Chris Doak here in 2010 and have also had a couple of top 10s since then."

Co leaders overnight, Chris Kelly (Cawder) and Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) had earlier  slipped out of the No 1 position, Kelly with a 75 for 141, Fox with a 74 for 140.
Joint third overnight on 138 are Paul O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) with a pair of 69s, Mark Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy) with 68-70 and Christopher Robinson (Portpatrick Dunskey) with 67-71.
Kerr staged a grandstand finish with birdies at the last three holes.
O'Hara birdied five of his last 13 holes after being two over par for the day on the fifth tee.
 Said O'Hara:

"I played pretty well today. My long game is pretty good but I need to brush up my putting a bit.

"I'm right in the mix, which is pleasing as I've been feeling quite ill. I had to go home from work early on Saturday and was in bed all day on Sunday.

"I've not had anything to eat today so my legs were tired towards the end and with two rounds tomorrow I'll need to get something to eat now."
Scott Henderson had an eagle 3 at the long 18th and that got him in on the limit mark of 144 among the 34 qualifiers for the final two rounds.
The Kings Links man improved by eight shots on Day 1 with a three-under 68, covering the last 12 holes in five under par. 

SECOND-ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 142 (2x71)
QUALIFIERS
136 R Arnott (Bishopbriggs) 69 67, G McBain (Kemnay) 69 67
138 M Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy) 68 70, P O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) 69 69, C Robinson (Portpatrick Dunskey) 67 71
139 J McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) 70 69, C Currie (Caldwell) 70 69, G Wright (West Linton) 69 70.
140 G Fox (Clydeway Golf) 66 74, J Lomas (Caprington) 71 69, G Brown (Montrose Links) 66 74.
141 C Kelly (Cawder) 66 75, M Hillson (Tandridge) 72 69, P McKechnie (Braid Hills) 70 71 Andrew Oldcorn (King's Acre) 68 73, N Fenwick (Dunbar) 70 71, R Drummond (unatt) 69 72, D Orr (Mearns Castle) 68 73.
142 J McKinnon (Irvine) 71 71, S Herald (Mearns Castle) 71 71, S Taylor (Bothwell Castle) 71 71, G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC) 69 73, K McNicoll (Gullane) 70 72, R Cameron (Saltire Energy) 67 75, D Patrick (Gullane) 70 72.
143 A Reid (West Lothian) 70 73, M Isaacs (Newmachar) 76 67, J McGhee (Bishopbriggs) 72 71, P Walker (Ballumbie Castle) 71 72, C Sutherland (Cherry Lodge) 72 71.
144 R Rafferty (Monte Rei) 74 70, S Henderson (Kings Links) 76 68, S Cairns (Colville Park) 73 71, C Donald (Carluke) 75 69.
MISSED THE CUT
145 S Lamb (Macdonald Cardrona) 75 70, C Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) 71 74, I Taylor (Drumpellier) 75 70, K Hutton (Downfield) 71 74.
146 J Cliff (Murrayfield) 75 71, A Brown (Archerfield Links) 78 68, D Wood (Hirsel) 73 73, S Savage (Dalmuir) 74 72, C Gordon (Edinburgh GC) 73 73
147 N Scott-Smith (Palacerigg) 73 74
148 P Shields (Kirkhill) 73 75, T Dingwall (Kemnay) 75 73, M Loftus (Mearns Castle) 75 73
149 G Paxton (Ralston) 75 74, M Paterson (Kilmacolm) 71 78
150 G Hay (Nairn Dunbar) 74 76, N Huguet (Musselburgh) 77 73, D Watters (Gourock) 77 73, P Wardell (Whitekirk) 77 73.
151 A Fullen (Largs) 75 76, C Billows (Gleneagles) 73 78, S Gray (Hayston) 75 76
152 O Huish (North Berwick) 77 75, A Mackrell (Playsport Golf) 77 75.
153 P Edgecombe (Forrester Park) 76 77, S Morrison (Tain) 78 75, G Law (Uphall) 79 74
154 A Hutchison (Douglas Park) 76 78
158 D Laing (Craigielaw) 82 76, M Galley (Gleneagles) 85 73, C Beveridge (West Kilbride) 75 83, D Fleming (Prestwick) 79 79.