Young Grillo shocks field to stay four strokes ahead in Perth

PERTH (Australia): Emiliano Grillo moved closer to securing his European Tour card for 2013 - and his first professional title - by shooting a five-under 67 for a four-stroke lead in the second round of the Perth International on Friday.

The 20-year-old made two eagles and two birdies at Lake Karrinyup to sit at 11-under 133 and ahead of second-placed Bo Van Pelt (67) and Jason Scrivener (69).

Jason Duffner (67) was tied for third five strokes off the lead with Max McCardle (70) and overnight leaders Alejandro Canizares (73) and Michael Hendry (73).

Paul Casey conceded three bogeys and a double bogey for a 75 to drift out of contention heading into the weekend, while 2011 Masters winner Charl Schwartzel followed a first-round 71 with a poor 76 to miss the cut.

Argentine Grillo, the second youngest player on the European Tour, showed considerable maturity in holing some big putts down the stretch but it was a pair of eagles that enabled him to post an equal day’s best 67 for a total of -11. Grillo holed out from the bunker on the parfive third and then spectacularly sank his second shot sand wedge on the 344-metre par four ninth.

“I didn’t see it because you cannot see the green from down there,” Grillo said of the magical shot. “But as soon as I heard the crowd, I was very happy with my caddie.”

The youngster, who came to Perth in a bid to keep his European tour card, says he won’t be perturbed by being the hare that the rest of the field has to chase.

But he will be under considerable pressure to keep his lead tomorrow, with Van Pelt and Dufner both also posting day two 67s.

Van Pelt had the more eye-catching round with an eagle on the par-five seventh and is joint second at -7. Dufner, however, worked into some really solid form in the back nine and is at -6. The big surprise of the day was Casey, who got to -7 after six holes but capitulated in the second half of his round and finished play at -2.

South Africa’s 2011 Masters winner Charl Schwartzel missed the cut after failing to make a five-foot putt on the 18th for birdie.

“It was a pretty much straightforward putt and it bounced out of line,” Schwartzel said.

“Nothing I can do about it.” — Agencies