Murray and Searle out in front in Yorkshire - 17/03/2007

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ALAN Murray is closing in on his second top ten finish in a week.

Irishman Murray (Greystones) came tied third last Friday at Maylands in Essex and is on course for another good result in the tenth event of the PGA EuroPro Tour season.

He hit a five-under 66 on Wednesday and followed that up with a three-under 69 on Thursday to ensure he would still be playing on the third day.

Murray is on eight-under, the same figure as Michael Searle (pictured above, Woodbury Park, Devon), while those on seven-under include Simon Robinson (The Wynard Club, Cleveland) and Jeremy Kavanagh (Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire).

One of the best performances of the second round came from Scott Jackson (High Legh Park, Cheshire), who drastically moved up the leaderboard with a round of 65, only 24 hours after shooting a 74.

He has played in six tour events this season, has now made the cut in three of them and has a good opportunity his previous highest finish of the season of level 15th at Cardrona, Scotland in May.

Doncaster golfer Graeme Clark, who has already won at Faithlegg, Ireland, and The Players Club, Bristol, is still in contention to win his third tour event of the season after a second day 70 followed a round of 67 on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, Christopher Hanson, a member of the Crosland Heath club in Huddersfield, maintained his amazing record of making the cut in every one of the nine 2007 tour events he has played in.

He started the day on three-under and at one stage had the lead on nine-under. However, he bogeyed the eighth before a disastrous eight on the par-four ninth, which could cost him the chance of winning the tournament and the £10,000 top prize.

Inconsistent Chris Sands (Surrenda Link) failed to finish in the top 50 and ended up on three-over, despite recording two eagles on successive days at the 495-yard par-five 16th.

The next event of the season is at the Whittlebury Park Golf and Country Club in Northamptonshire from Wednesday, August 22 to Friday, August 24.

Date posted: August 9, 2007