Lawrie leads Johnnie Walker
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2009 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles | Round Two | 29 Aug 2009
Paul Lawrie leads the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in Perthshire Scotland, completing his first 36 holes bogey free to be at 8 under and two ahead of Northern Ireland rookie Jonathan Caldwell, Dutchman Maarten Lafeber, and Argentinean Daniel Vancsik.
Lawrie has not won on the European Tour since the 2002 Celtic Manor Wales Open but is well placed to add his third title in Scotland to that list of five European Tour victories.
25-year-old Caldwell is in his first season on the European Tour and had made only three of 13 cuts in season 2009 and it appeared that may be the case again when he reached the 9th hole at the cut score of even par. Six birdies in his next ten holes however have moved him into contention and his progress, one way or the other, will be watched with interest over the weekend.
Vancsik won the Italian Open earlier in the season but since that victory his form has been very ordinary. This provides the opportunity to get back on track for the Argentinean.
Lafeber has not won since the 2003 Dutch Open and so for the four leading players at the halfway stage of this event, a victory would be very significant in their careers.
New Zealander Danny Lee, the current Johnnie Walker Classic Champion and playing his first event as a professional in Europe, is well positioned at 3 under and leads the Australasian challenge along with Wade Ormsby.
Victorian Michael Curtain in his rookie season is at 2 under and having a better week and shares that position with Stephen Leaney while the current Australian Amateur Champion, Scott Arnold, at 1 under has made his first cut as a professional along with Marcus Fraser.
