Alvaro Quiros claims halfway lead in Hassan Trophy

Spain’s Alvaro Quiros is in pole position to secure another outof-the-blue victory on the European Tour after claiming the halfway lead in the Hassan Trophy in Morocco.

Quiros added a second round of 70 to his opening 67 at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam to finish seven under par and a shot ahead of Australia’s Andrew Dodt, with South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen a stroke further back.

The 35-year-old reached as high as 21st in the world in 2011, but was ranked 703rd when he won the Rocco Forte Open in Sicily last year after squandering a seven-shot lead with 12 holes to play before beating Zander Lombard in a play-off.

That lifted Quiros to 237th in the rankings, but he has made just three halfway cuts since and began the week in Rabat at 435th in the standings.

Dodt was two over par after seven holes of his round, but birdied the eighth, ninth and 11th, eagled the 12th and picked up another shot on the 14th in an eventful 68 which equalled the lowest score of the day.

Defending champion Edoardo Molinari and the man he beat in a play-off 12 months ago, Paul Dunne, both missed the cut on five over par, with Dunne carding a 76 despite a hole-in-one on the 17th.

Drumoig’s Connor Syme made the cut after a second successive 73 left him on twoover par.

Top Scot Marc Warren who is seven off the lead after a oneunder 71.

Aberdonian Richie Ramsay is also in weekend action thanks to a second round 73 left him on two-over.

Blairgowrie’s Bradley Neil is one of six Scots heading home.

He carded a seven-over 79 to leave him well down the leaderboard.

Also missing the cut are Stephen Gallacher, who followed his opening round 70 with an eight-over par 80 – he made seven bogeys and only one birdie– former Open champion Paul Lawrie, Grant Forrest, Scott Jamieson and David Drysdale.

Alvaro Quiros leads by a shot going into today’s third round.