Connor in control heading into final round of EuroPro Tour event

Sam Connor carded a second round of 66 (-6) to lead by three with 18 holes left to play at the HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour’s Dawson and Sanderson Classic at Longhirst Hall Golf Club, Northumbria.

 

Connor (Alsager Golf and Country Club) started the day five shots off the lead but, by the end, found himself with daylight between the rest of the field.

 

A second round which consisted of eight birdies and just two bogeys moved the three-time EuroPro Tour winner to 10-under par as he goes on the hunt for his first title in 2018.

 

Reflecting on his round he said: “It went really well today, I was just trying to stay relaxed out there and play my own game. I had no idea that someone had shot a course record yesterday as I don’t look at scoreboards on day one; it feels good to be in the lead after day two though.”

Connor has great memories across the 7,082 yards of Longhirst Hall, winning his first EuroPro Tour title back in 2015, and feels that experience will give him an edge heading into the final round. He said: “I love coming here, it’s a great place to play and obviously winning here has given me some great memories.”

He added: “The course has played much firmer than previous years due to the dry weather so I will need to stay focused as the tournament isn’t won just yet.”

Tomasz Anderson (Centurion Club) failed to build on his spectacular opening round of 63, setting a course record in the process. His second round of 75 (+3) places him four shots off the lead heading into Friday.

 

Connor’s nearest rivals are Joe Dean (Hillsborough Golf Club) and Ireland’s Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin Golf Club) who carded impressive rounds of 66 and 68 respectively to sit three off the lead.

 

A cut to the leading 50 players and ties has now been made with those two-over par or better advancing to the final round. Nine Scots beat the cut at 146 and better with Paul O'Hara leading the Tartan Army in a share of sixth place on 139 - five off the pace - with rounds of 69 and 70.

 

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LEADERBOARD
134 S Connor (Eng) 68 66
137 J Dean 71 66, N Kearney (Ire) 69 68

SCOTS' SCORES
139 P O'Hara 69 70 (T6)
141 C Fyfe 69 72 (T14)
142 P Shields 72 70, C Ross 70 72, R Campbell
68 74 (T18)
144 D Young 70 74 (T31)
145 J Gallagher 75 70, L Saltman 70 75 (T39)
146 N Henderson 72 74 (T49)

SCOTS WHO MISSED THE CUT
147 S Lawrie 71 76
148 D Hendry 72 76
149 L Allan 78 71, C Lawrie 76 73, S Kiloh
71 78.
150 J Henry 77 73
151 J Taylor 75 76, C O'Neil 77 74
152 J Duff 74 78
153 L Morgan 80 73, J Mullaney 77 76
156 E Bradley 78 78
158 J Savage 82 76
159 J Dick 83 76
161 A Sutherland 79 82
162 M Stokes 81 81, K Zeynalov 76 86

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