Hill sits second in Geneva as Fitzpatrick hits front in Sweden

CALUM Hill’s bid for a third win of the season on the Challenge Tour that will fast-track him to the main European circuit is still on course heading into the final round of the Rolex Trophy in Geneva.

The Kinross golfer, who leads the second-tier tour’s rankings but can earn a “battlefield” promotion to the top table if he manages another win, added a four-under 68 to his tally for a 15-under aggregate of 201.

That left the in-form Scot, with two wins in his last four Challenge Tour starts, in a share of second place but he will have to reel in the inspired Ricardo Santos, who has yet to drop a shot in 54-holes this week.

A charging eight-birdie 64 propelled the Portuguese on to a 19-under total and into a four-shot lead with one round to play.

On the European Tour, Matthew Fitzpatrick will take a two-stroke lead into the weekend at the Scandinavian Invitation after firing five birdies on his back nine to keep home hero Henrik Stenson at bay.

The Englishman, who won this event in 2016, carded six birdies and a single bogey in his second-round 65 to move to 11-under-par.

His playing partner and Gothenburg native Stenson is in a tie for second place alongside China’s Wu Ashun after reeling off six consecutive birdies around the turn on his way to a sensational 62, which began with a bogey and featured nine birdies.

Fitzpatrick said: “It’s been great the past two days. Everything is going to plan.”

Swede Joakim Lagergren and Australian Jason Scrivener, who had set the clubhouse target earlier in the day, are one shot behind Stenson and Wu in a tie for fourth on eight under.

At the Tipsport Czech Ladies Masters, Carly Booth and Kylie Henry finished among the early leaders and were just two shots off the lead after a pair of opening four-under 68s.

Slovenian amateur Pia Babnik, who won the Girls’ Amateiur title at Panmure last week, marked her first appearance in a tour event with a fine 67.

On the amateur front, Kilmacolm’s Matthew Clark is the best-placed Scot after the first round of the Scottish Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship at the Duke’s course near St Andrews.

Clark, the former Scottish MidAmateur champion, recovered from a bogey-six on his first hole with six birdies in a five-under 66.

That left him two strokes behind the English duo of Ben Hutchinson and Jake Bolton who raced to the front with 64s.

Another Englishman, Matthew Hibbs, had a day to forget with a 93 which included two eights and a nine.