SECOND ROUND LEADERBOARD:
-10 S Hutsby (Eng), L Oosthuizen (SA) -8 S Kjeldsen (Den) -7 RJ Derksen (Ned), P Lawrie (Sco), R Finch (Eng), P Whiteford (Sco), G Canizares (Sp) Selected others: -6 P McGinley (Ire) -2 D Howell (Eng), D Clarke (NI) -1 M A Jimenez (Spa)
Missed cut: level N Dougherty (Eng) +2 T Bjorn (Den)
 Hutsby turned professional after last September's Walker Cup |
England's Sam Hutsby carded a superb 63 for a share of the lead at the halfway stage of the Andalucia Open in Malaga. Starting at the 10th, the 21-year-old's round included a blistering six birdies in his first eight holes. South African Louis Oosthuizen also fired a 63, and the pair are two shots ahead of Soren Kjeldsen in third. England's Paul Waring shot nine birdies in a course record 62 but is six shots adrift, while overnight leader Paul Lawrie's 68 leaves him three behind. Paul McGinley is one further back after his 66. Defending champion Kjeldsen, who had a 62 en route to his victory last year, eagled the 14th and recorded a 67 that leaves him in sole possession of third place at eight-under. Hutsby, from Liphook in Hampshire, could have been preparing for The Masters rather than playing in Spain this week. He reached the final of the British Amateur last June before losing to 16-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero, who in two weeks' time will become the youngest player ever to appear at Augusta.  | 606: DEBATE |
Hutsby would have had to stay amateur to take up that opportunity if he had won that day. Instead, he turned professional after the Walker Cup in September and finished second at Tour qualifying school only two months later. Now he goes into the weekend alongside Oosthuizen, who needs to win on Sunday to have a chance of climbing into the world's top 50 in time for The Masters. Hutsby even revealed that he has been battling illness this week. "I woke up quite a few times in the night," he said. "I have a sore throat and am really bunged up, but that round has made me feel better." Tour rookie James Morrison was the first player of the day to card a 63 which put his name briefly on the Parador honours board as the course record holder. The 25-year-old, who played in the same England youth cricket teams as Alastair Cook and Tim Bresnan, moved up to join McGinley in a share of ninth at six-under after only 19 putts in his round. Remarkably this feat was bettered by Waring, who improved on his first round 74 by 12 shots. Darren Clarke posted four birdies in a 68 for a share of 39th place at two-under, while tournament promoter Miguel Angel Jimenez is a stroke further back after overcoming a double bogey and bogey in the last three holes to survive the cut by one shot. Scotsman Scott Drummond had a hole-in-one at the sixth but was two shots outside the halfway axe.
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