Gareth Maybin at Sicilian Open
Peter Lawrie was the leading Irish player after day two of the Sicilian Open finishing with a level par 71 at the Donnafugata Golf Resort & SPA carding two birdies and bogeys on Friday to to remain one over par overall.
Damien McGrane is also one over par for the tournament after signing for a two over par 73 following bogeys on holes 3 and 14 to share 46th place ahead of the weekend.
Gareth Maybin however reached the clubhouse on Friday with a round of 79 having bogeyed three holes on the front nine, followed by more trouble after the turn with two double bogeys on the back nine and a triple on the par four 18th hole - missing the cut on 8 over par overall.
Shane Lowry's first appearance since his pre Christmas wrist injury also ended on Friday after reaching the turn in 44 shots and signing for an eight over par total of 79 - 9 over par overall some seven shots off the cut mark.
Dan Gaunt of Australia was unable to match the opening day 67, when he holed some lengthy putts, and finished with a four over par 75 on Friday to drop back to a share of 35th place and
level par for the tournament.
At the top of the leaderboard Anthony Wall’s second round 67 put him in pole position to win €166,660 at the Sicilian Open – with the help of a 59p investment.
The Englishman attributed his bogey-free effort, which saw him reach the halfway stage nine under par, to improved putting, aided by an iphone application.
“There are two things here,” said Wall. “The first one is that I asked Tony Johnstone to have a look at my stroke when I was at Sunningdale last week and he gave me a nice lesson and a couple of tips that have really helped me.
“And then I bought a Dave Stockton iphone app about reading greens and that is the best 59 pence I have ever spent because his tips have really simplified a few things for me.
“I have just been looking at the low side of every putt for the last two days – really concentrating on the last third of the putt as opposed to the whole putt and that has definitely helped me. I haven’t holed everything but I have hit my putts a lot better.
“It was a bargain, I have to say – you don’t get many valuable lessons for 59 pence these days! The thing about Dave Stockton is that he is and always was an amazing putter and you tend to listen to those guys a bit more.”
Wall, whose only European Tour title came back in 2000, carded two birdies on the front nine and added an eagle at the par five 12th.
“I have played great for the last two days so they have been relatively easy,” he said. “This is a tough golf course and I have played really well again today.
“I haven’t really had a tough par putt for the last two days and that tells you how well I have been playing. If I can stay strong mentally then I should have a good chance to win here.”
Wall leads Australian Richard Green and France's Raphaël Jacquelin by two shots at Donnafugata Golf Resort & SPA.
Left-hander Green - at 64th the highest ranked player in the field this week - had six birdies in his 67 but a double bogey at the tenth denied him a share of the lead
Jacquelin played 32 holes without dropping a shot, but when he did he lost two with a double bogey at the sixth. However, he closed with two birdies in his last three holes to remain well in contention.
All three took advantage of more benign morning conditions, with first round joint-leader Stephen Dodd’s 72 giving him a share of fourth with Swede Oscar Floren, Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti, Spain’s Alejandro Cañizares, England's Jamie Elson and Marco Crespi – who looks to be carrying home hopes into the weekend.
Colin Montgomerie also looks on course for his best finish since Captaining Europe to Ryder Cup glory.
The eight-time Order of Merit winner was bogey-free as he completed a second-straight 69 to claim a share of tenth on four under.
The Scot has not had a top-ten finish since the 2008 Open de France ALSTOM, and his efforts were all the more impressive considering he was under the weather.
“Not feeling very well - terrible flu so I did well today,” he said. “That was ok to not drop a shot.
“I haven’t dropped a shot since the first two holes of round one, things are looking up.
“I’m never ill, never ill. Never missed a game because I’ve been ill. I’ve missed a tournament because I had a bad back but never through illness and I’m not going to start now.
“I’ve never missed a day’s work through illness - typical Scot. I’ve not started this year but beginning to feel it’s coming back again.”
