David Drysdale kept himself very much in frame to end a 508-tournament victory drought heading to the weekend rounds of the inaugural Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open.
Drysdale, 45 posted a second round four-under par 67 to move to 10-under par and be in a three-way share of the clubhouse lead when darkness halted play.
Welshman Jamie Donaldson and England’s Marcus Armitage were tied atop of the board on 11-under par and with Donaldson, who holed the winning putt at the 2014 Gleneagles Ryder Cup, one hole to play and Armitage three holes remaining.
It will mean the duo, along with three others in the 10-player field, having to return to the course at 8am local time Saturday to complete their second rounds.
David Dyrsdale stays in victory frame after day two of the Cyprus Open
Drysdale, and playing in the company of 2005 U.S. Open champ Michael Campbell, grabbed six birdies in his round, including birdies on the sixth and 11th holes for a second day running, and while he bogeyed the fourth, the Eyemouth golfer was bitterly disappointed to drop a shot at the last.
The current World No. 404th played a third shot from a slope down the left side of 18 but then sent his third over the left-hand corner of the green from where he chipped but then two-putted for a bogey ‘6’.
He said: “It’s a little disappointing to bogey the last as I just kind of had a poor lay-up and just got into trouble from there.
“There is the water past the hole and it does look a little downhill from where I was but I just didn’t put a good strike on my putt. It was a pretty soft effort. There are a lot of bumps and jumps and to be short as I was, was pathetic to be honest.
“Other than that, the prior 17 holes have been pretty solid golf so happy with that so have to be happy with that.”
Drysdale is producing his best form since the July lifting of the lockdown and it’s also a first time since losing out in a play-off earlier this year at the Qatar Masters that the proud Scot has posted two sub-70 opening rounds.
He said: “I have been working hard but then I had a little injury when I came back and missed four or five events trying to get fit and then I was just looking to find some form, really.
“My scores have not been great the last few weeks but I have been starting to show a little form over nine holes while my ball-striking has been good and that’s been the difference. So, my ball-striking has been tending a little bit.
“There’s still a lot of golf to be played, and also looking at the leader-board there is still a lot of golf to be played today so not too sure if we’ll get done.
“If I am maybe within two or three of the lead coming to the end of the round that would be good. I haven’t had that many opportunities over my career, so we’ll give it a crack over the weekend and see what happens.”
Robert MacIntyre also rekindled good form, birdieing four of his closing nine holes also in a 67 to be inside the top-20 at seven-under.
The duo of Craigielaw’s Grant Forrest and Kirkcaldy’s Calum Hill signed for a second 69 to be tied at four-under par but with Forrest having eagled the sixth hole for a second day but then ending his round with three bogeys over his last four holes
Richie Ramsay (69) and Ewen Ferguson (72), each with level par totals, and also Connor Syme (72) at three-over par are assured of missing the halfway cut.
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