NEWS ROUND-UP:SENIORS TOUR: Paraguay's Angel Franco consolidated his position at the top of the leaderboard in the PGA Seniors Championship at Slaley Hall with a level par second round 72 for a total of four-under-par 141.
Jimmy Heggarty fired a superb three-under-par 69 to lie just two shots behind on 143.
The 53-year-old carded four birdies and an eagle on the 12th hole to move to one under par for the championship.
His second round in Northumberland showed signs of improvement, before fog saw play suspended for two-and-a-half hours.
After a solid opening round, Des Smyth slipped back to four-over-par 148 with a 75 that included an eagle on the 12th but also two double bogeys.
CHALLENGE TOUR: Overnight leader Andrew Butterfield of England was unable to reproduce the fireworks of his opening round, but he is still the man they all have to catch in The Princess tournament in Sweden.
Butterfield added a 69 to his opening 62 at the beautiful Båstad Golf Club in Båstad to move to 11-under-par 131, one shot clear of local favourite Fredrik Andersson Hed and a further three ahead of Portugal’s José-Filipe Lima, Spaniard Carlos Rodiles and England’s Zane Scotland.
Ireland’s Simon Thornton posted the lowest round of the day to close the gap on the leaders. Thornton’s 66, which featured seven birdies, moved him from one over par overnight – and in danger of missing the cut – to four-under-par 148 and in contention to better his highest Challenge Tour finish of fourth in the Telenet Trophy.
Thornton’s fellow Irishmen Colm Moriarty also enjoyed a productive day, notching six birdies in a 67 to move to three-under-par 149.
US TOUR:Kenny Perry could not repeat his first-round 61 at the Travelers Championship but he did maintain his lead midway through the second round in rainy Connecticut yesterday.
Perry (48), held a two-shot overnight lead over fellow Americans Paul Goydos and Charles Warren following a nine-under-par opening round in Cromwell that equalled the course record on the rain-softened, 6,841-yard layout.
As more rain descended on the US northeast, early starter Perry got off to another quick opening with birdies at the first and third, before a bogey slowed the Ryder Cup star. Another birdie came at the 17th, his eighth of the day.
But Perry parred the remaining 10 holes for a 68 and an 11-under-par 129 total.
That gave him a two-shot clubhouse lead over fellow American Ryan Moore, who continued from his tie for 10th at last Monday’s US Open with an opening 66 and added a 65 yesterday to get to nine-under-par 131 for the tournament.
Aaron Watkins was another mover among the morning wave, his 67 getting him to eight under alongside Colt Knost, who shot a 66, with 50-year-old Michael Allen shooting a 65 to get to seven under.
Also on seven under was Chez Reavie, who shot a 67.
US Open champion Lucas Glover fell off the pace with a 71 to reach the clubhouse at four under.
