Bogey-free Neil in hunt after grandstand finish

Blairgowrie player just four behind leaders after 66

Bradley Neil played his way into contention at the halfway point of the Nordea Masters with a bogey-free second round in Gothenburg.

The Blairgowrie pro made four birdies in a 66 to finish the day at seven under par, just four shots behind the leading pair of fellow Scot Scott Jamieson and England’s Paul Waring.

Jamieson added a “Kamikaze” 65 to his opening 64 at Hills Golf Club to finish 11 under par, a total matched by Waring thanks to three birdies in the last five holes in his 63.

South Africa’s Thomas Aiken is two shots off the lead after three-putting the last for his only bogey in a 65, with Neil, England’s Lee Slattery and American Hunter Stewart, the world number 1,309, four off the lead on seven under.

Thorbjorn Olesen maintained his challenge for a Ryder Cup qualifying place.

Olesen is alongside former world number one Martin Kaymer in a six-way tie for seventh, which would be enough to overhaul Ian Poulter in the final automatic qualifying place in European captain Thomas Bjorn’s team to face the United States at Le Golf National in Paris next month.

Starting on the back nine, Olesen carded five birdies in the space of seven holes to race to the turn in 29, before recording two bogeys and a birdie on the inward half in his 66.

“The first 11 or 12 holes were really tough,” said Olesen, who is good friends with fellow Dane Bjorn.

“The wind was blowing like yesterday afternoon so it was quite tricky, but I stroked the ball beautifully today.

“I was swinging the club really nice, middle of the fairways, attacking the pins, but I just didn’t really get it going, I feel like I could have been really low today.

“Obviously I hit that loose shot on eight (where he made a bogey six), lost the concentration a little bit. But besides that shot I feel like I did really well today.

“I would like to keep playing like I did today over the next few days.

“If I can keep swinging the club the way I did today and keep playing like that I think I’ll have a chance on Sunday.”

Jamieson has more mundane matters than the Ryder Cup on his mind, the 34-year-old Glaswegian starting the week ranked 126th in the Race to Dubai, with only the top 110 at the end of the season keeping their full European Tour card.

“It was another great day.

“It was perhaps a little Kamikaze at times but I scored really well with the exception of a three-putt on 14,” Jamieson told Sky Sports after a round containing seven birdies and two bogeys.

Neil started at the 10th and reached the turn in 33 with birdies at the 18th, second and third.

He then put together eight straight pars before a grandstand finish to his round, when he holed a bunker shot on the ninth hole.

Marc Warren shot a 65 to reach five under and Drumoig’s Connor Syme returned another 69 to lie two under going into the weekend.

Amateur Ryan Lumsden finished just the wrong side of the cut at one over after a 71, one ahead of fellow Scots Richie Ramsay and David Drysdale.

Stephen Gallacher shot a 71 but finished back at six over after his opening 75.

Picture: PA. Bradley Neil: holed a bunker shot on his final hole to finish the day at seven under par.