Zions and Tampion close in France
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2011 Saint-Omer Open | Round Two | 18 Jun 2011
27 year old Andrea Perrino leads along with Scotland’s Craig Lee at the halfway mark of the event at the St Omer Golf Club as Perrino chases a place on the European Tour for the first time and Lee a return to the status he once enjoyed on that Tour. The pair leads by a shot over first round leader, the South African George Coetzee.
Italian golf is enjoying its finest period at present with the Molinari brothers and Matteo Manassero flying its flag proudly in the international stage. Perrino is clearly not at their level but he is taking the opportunity to shine while the leading Europeans are in Washington DC.
The event is jointly sanctioned between the European and the European Challenge Tours providing the opportunity for the winner to graduate to the main tour if not otherwise qualified.
Australians Andrew Tampion and Matthew Zions are in a share of 5th position just three shots off the lead. Tampion recently won a Challenge Tour event and is well placed to graduate to full status in Europe via the Challenge Tour but victory this week might bring that prospect forward a few months.
Zions, from Northern NSW, is back on the European Tour in 2011 courtesy of finishing 15th on the Challenge Tour in 2010. This provides a good opportunity perhaps to secure ongoing status.
