The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Gallacher six off lead
Former Ryder Cup star Stephen Gallacher remains in contention at the halfway stage of the £5.3 million Turkish Airlines Open.
The Scot, who starred for Europe at Gleneagles in 2014, is six shots behind leader Nicolas Colsaerts after carding a second round 65 yesterday.
Gallacher sits alongside English pair matt Fitzpatrick and Matthew Southgate and Ireland’s Shane Lowry on eight under.
Gallacher was on the verge of withdrawing from the event after suffering an ankle injury stepping off a buggy in practice, but followed up his opening 69 in fine style for a bogeyfree first 36 holes.
The 43-year-old has also made a major change to his grip to cut out a destructive hook and said: “It feels horrendous over the ball.
“That’s why my coach never mentioned it. He was going to say it after the tournament but when you want to enjoy the game I thought to myself I’m just going to give it a go anyway.”
Colsaerts carded a second successive 64 at the Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort to reach 14 under par, with England’s Eddie Pepperell his nearest challenger after back-to-back rounds of 66.
Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat is five shots off the pace after a 67.
Colsaerts’ last European Tour title came in the Volvo World Match Play Championship in 2012 and helped persuade Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal to select the big-hitting Belgian as one of his wild cards.
The 34-year-old contributed one point to the ‘Miracle at Medinah’ after carding eight birdies and an eagle in partnership with Lee Westwood as the European pair defeated Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker.
Aberdonian Richie Ramsay is on three under – 11 behind Colsaerts – after a second round 68 while David Drysdale is two further back after following up his opening 68 with a two-over par 73.
Marc Warren is level par going into the weekend and Scott Jamieson is five over.
Bradley Neil is tied 14th going into the last round of the Challenge Tour season. The Blairgowrie golfer posted a third round two under 70 to reach five under for the tournament in Oman.
One more good 18 and the former Amateur champion will secure a European Tour card.
Drumoig’s Connor Syme is joint 14th as he competes in Stage 2 of the European Tour Qualifiying School in Spain.
The Fife golfer hit five birdies as he carded a 67 at Las Colinas Golf Club, Alicante.
Former Scottish Amateur champion David Law returned an eight-under-par 63 to lie third.
Perth’s Daniel Young fired a first round 70 at the Desert Springs venue to sit eight shots off the lead.