Golf:England's Robert Coles carded a seven-under-par 65 to find himself among four men sharing the halfway lead at the Austrian Golf Open in Atzenbrugg on a day when John Daly stormed off the course following a rules infringement.
The two-time Major winner called it a day at the par-three 15th, when having completed the hole despite finding the water from the tee and throwing a club into the pond, he was summoned by European Tour official Andy McFee, who was concerned he had dropped the ball in the wrong place.
The official explained to Daly that he would most likely receive a two-shot penalty for the infringement, at which point the 45-year-old walked off the course.
Coles followed up yesterday’s opening round of level-par 72 with a flawless second day in which he picked up seven birdies at Diamond Country Club.
At that point he was sitting pretty alongside Dutchman Joost Luiten in the clubhouse but by the end of play that lead was shared with two more competitors on seven under overall. Dane Thomas Norret and India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar were the gatecrashers to snatch a portion of the lead.
Bhullar even led outright at one point, starting on the back nine and producing a sublime six birdies, only to slip up on the third and fourth holes by following a bogey with a horrible three-over-par seven to fall back.
Luiten, who was a shot off the pace overnight following a 67 yesterday, improved his lot after his two-under 70 — a double-bogey six on the seventh and another dropped shot on 12 spoiling his round.
The leading quartet were two shots clear of four men on five-under — Australian Daniel Gaunt, local amateur Matthias Schwab, Italy’s Emanuele Canonica and Englishman Simon Wakefield.
Overnight leader Liam Bond of Wales followed up yesterday’s 66 with a disappointing 74 to slip to joint ninth on four under, alongside Ireland’s Gary Murphy and Scot Gary Orr.
Wexfordman Murphy has had a dreadful season to date, making just one cut on the Challenge Tour and failing to get through the first stage of European Tour qualifying school in Scotland last week.
His fortunes changed yesterday as carded five birdies and just a single bogey in a four-under 68 to put him in a great position going into the weekend.
Pádraig Harrington, armed with his new five-wood, will also be in action after carding a two-under 70 that included six birdies and four bogeys and left him on one over.
Michael McGeady finished one shot outside the cut on four over after a 73, with Jonathan Caldwell (74 ) a shot further back.
Damien McGrane struggled to a 77 to finish on seven over, the same mark as Portstewart’s Paul Cutler after he signed for a 74.
Cutler’s Walker Cup team-mate made the cut in his first outing as a professional, the young Englishman finishing on level par after a 70.
