NGA Hooters Tour moves outside US

KNOX MAKES CUT IN
GUATEMALA BUT
JAMIESON FAILS
BY ONE SHOT

Russell Knox from Inverness, now based in Jacksonville, Florida, was lying in joint 10th place at the halfway stage of the Guatemala International Open championship over the tricky San Isidro Country Club course at Guatemala City.
Knox, pictured right, was in third position after an opening round of 71 but slipped back seven places after a 77 for 148. His second round included only one birdie, at the short second. Starting at the 10th, he had bogeys at the 15th, 17th, fourth, fifth, sixth and ninth.
The graduate of Jacksonvilla University was nine shots off the pace being set by the four-stroke leader James Vargas from Miami, Florida with rounds of 69 and 70 for 139.
Irishman Niall Turner from Cork, like Knox a former US college circuit golfer, was in fourth place on 145 with scores of 74 and 71.
A third former American college player, David Skinns from Lincoln just made the halfway cut with scores of 78 and 77 for joint 53rd place on 154.
A total of 60 plus ties qualified with 36-hole totals of 154, an abnormally high cut-off figure for the Hooters Tour and underlining that the San Isidro course is the most difficult the circuit players will encounter all season.
Scott Jamieson from Glasgow, the most successful Scottish player on the NGA Hooters Tour over the past year and a bit, failed to make it by just one shot after scores of 78 and 77 for 155.
He was going quite well in the second round after birdies at the sixth and 12th but a double bogey 5 at the short 16th proved his undoing.
There was a starting field of 120 players.
LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2 x 72)
139 James Vargas 69 70.
143 Oswald Villada (Colombia) 70 73.
144 Travis Bertoni 73 71.
145 Niall Turner (Ireland) 74 71.
Other qualifiers:
148 Russell Knox (Scotland) 71 77 (jt 10th).
154 David Skinns (Lincoln) 78 76 (jt 53rd).
Missed the Cut
155 Scott Jamieson (Scotland) 78 77.