SECOND ROUND LEADERBOARD:
-8 P Lawrie (Sco) -6 J Caldwell (NI), M Lafeber (Ned), D Vancsik (Arg) Selected others: -5 JM Olazabal (Spa) Level C Montgomerie (Sco)
 Lawrie has not had a bogey during his first 36 holes |
Scotland's Paul Lawrie shot a second-round 69 to stay on top at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. Two strokes back are Northern Ireland's Jonathan Caldwell, who shot a superb 66, Dutchman Maarten Lafeber and Argentine Daniel Vancsik. Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal is four under par after an impressive 68. Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie carded a 68 to ensure that he avoided missing a fourth successive cut on the European Tour for the first time. "Four missed cuts would be a new record for me and I don't want to set those records," said Montgomerie, who shot 76 in his first round. "I hit all 18 greens in regulation, which is always good. That's the way I always used to play, but I've not been hitting fairways - they have been a ghost to me." Lawrie, who recently enlisted Bob Torrance as his coach, has yet to card a bogey after 36 holes of golf.  | 606: DEBATE |
"I played very well and I hit the ball extremely solidly," said Lawrie. "To be eight under par after two rounds without a bogey on my cards is very pleasing. "I've been prone to the odd hook in my career and I've certainly got rid of that the last couple of days." Only two players - David J Russell in 1992 and Jesper Parnevik in 1995 - have gone through a European Tour event without dropping a stroke. Lawrie was playing with Olazabal, who is suffering from rheumatism but nonetheless carded five birdies in the first six holes. "I have a little bit of pain here and there, especially when I wake up in the morning," said the Spaniard, who has not had a top-10 finish in Europe since 2006. "You have to take it slow and give yourself more time to try to loosen up. "Hitting shots my body is not moving as freely and I can't practise as much as I need to, but I have to live with that for the time being." Olazabal is tied for third with Denmark's Soren Hansen, France's Gregory Bourdy and India's Shiv Kapur.
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