The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Neil finishes with a flourish to make Hong Kong cut
Blairgowrie golfer sinks two late long putts to lie 11 shots behind Chawrasia
A double birdie finish saw Bradley Neil make his first cut since securing his European Tour card.
The Blairgowrie golfer sunk two long putts on 17 and 18 to ensure his participation over the weekend in the UBS Hong Kong Open.
The 21-year-old posted back-to-back one over rounds of 71 for his two over par 36-hole total – just good enough to make it on to the high side of the cut line.
SSP Chawrasia will take a twoshot lead into today after England’s Matt Fitzpatrick tumbled down the leaderboard.
Fitzpatrick, who was looking to overcome a disappointing finish to last week’s DP World Tour Championship, began the day one shot behind overnight leader Chawrasia but struggled on Friday.
A double bogey on the first set the tone and bogeys on the ninth, 11th and 14th holes contributed to a round of threeover 73, sending him sliding down to a share of 26th place, now eight shots off the lead.
India’s Chawrasia continued to set a strong pace with just one blemish – a bogey on the 14th – on his scorecard as he went round in 66 to move to nine under for the tournament.
“It’s a great round today,” Chawrasia said. “I was five under at one time and then three-putted number 14 but, still, it’s a good score four under – I’m happy.”
Chawrasia sits two shots clear of Thomas Aiken, who had the best round of the tournament so far with a bogey-free 64.
“I just went out there with the same game plan as yesterday, hit some good-quality shots and really didn’t make many mistakes – that was the key.”
The South African has sole possession of second place, two shots clear of a fourman group at five under.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood carded a 68 to join an eight-way tie for seventh that also includes Welshman Jamie Donaldson, whose round of 69 moved him to four under for the tournament.
English trio Justin Rose, Chris Hanson and James Morrison are part of a sevenman group one shot further back. Scotland’s David Drysdale missed the cut by some distance, finishing seven over.