EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR

HUTCHEON LONE SCOT AMONG QUALIFIERS
FOR LAST TWO ROUNDS IN KAZAKHSTAN
Peterculter's Greig Hutcheon was the only Scot to survive the halfway cut in the Kazakhstan Open, this week's Challenge Tour event in the Central Asian republic which has Russia and China for neighbours.
Greig, pictured left, scored 72 and 71 for a one-under-par tally of 143 and made the cut with only one stroke to spare.
A total of 63 players with aggregates of level par 144 qualified for the final two rounds in what is the richest event in Challenge Tour history.
West Linton-based Welshman Gareth Wright and compatriot Mark Pilkington have taken over the pole position from Spaniard Alfred Garcia-Hereda.
Pilkington has shot 70 and 66 for eight-under-par 136, the same total of Wright who started with a 72 but shot up the leaderboard with an eight-under-par 64 today.
Garcia-Hereda slipped back to third place on 137 with a 66 and 71.
LEADING QUALIFIERS
136 (-8)
Mark Pilkington (Wal) 70 66.
Gareth Wright (Wal) 72 64.
137 (-7)
Alfredo Garcia-Hereda (Spa) 66 71.
138 (-6)
Paul Dwyer (Eng) 70 68.
Lee S James (Eng) 71 67.
Martin Kaymer (Ger) 71 67.
Other qualifiers included:
143 (-1)
Greig Hutcheon (Peterculter) 72 71.
*A total of 63 players with aggregates of 144 (level par) qualified for the final two rounds.
Scottish non-qualifiers:
146 (+2) Jamie McLeary 74 72.
147 (+3) David Patrick 73 74.
148 (+4) Peter Whiteford 76 72.
150 (+6) Adrian McArthur 72 78.
154 (+10) Chris Doak 78 76.
159 (+15) Murray Urquhart 82 77.