Storm stays calm to go clear on his own

Golf Spanish Open: The former British amateur champion Graeme Storm put himself in sight of a maiden European Tour title yesterday when the Englishman led the Spanish Open at the halfway stage by a stroke.

Storm birdied his last three holes to retain the top place he had shared after the first round with Portugal's Jose-Felipe Lima, carding a five-under-par 67 to move to 12-under-par 132.

Storm's playing-partner Robert Karlsson holed in one at the fourth on his way to breaking the San Roque New Course record by a shot with a 63, to be one of five men sharing second place.

Earlier, Denmark's Thomas Bjorn shot 64 to break the record set originally by Storm and Lima, to lie two strokes off the pace and kick-start what has been a troubled season.

Peter Lawrie and David Higgins were six shots off the pace, tied on 138. Lawrie added a 71 to his opening 67, while Higgins went around in 68 yesterday.

It was bad news for their fellow Irish competitors, however, with Damien McGrane and Michael Hoey both missing the 141 half-way cut. McGrane shot 71 to miss out by one shot, while Hoey was two shots further down the field after a second round 70.

After Storm won the British Amateur title in 1999 and played in Britain and Ireland's winning Walker Cup team the same year, much was expected of the 28-year-old but he had found little success until finishing second in last year's European Open.

"I think most people thought as British Amateur champion you should go on to great things but it takes a lot of hard work and dedication," said Storm.

Bjorn, who famously lost out at the 2003 British Open after leading by three strokes with four holes to go, is battling back after recurring neck problems which flared up in early February caused him to miss what he considered a vital stage of the year and dropped him from 22nd on the world rankings to 34th.

He said: "After Dubai (the Desert Classic) I went five weeks when I literally didn't touch a club and it wasn't much fun because you feel like you are losing out.

"It's a time when players get themselves ready for the big tournaments. But today was one of those days when golf seems easy."

Bjorn said he would not be playing this year's European Open in July, even though the K Club will be staging the Ryder Cup in September, because of "too many bad memories".

South African Titch Moore, trying to regain his Tour card, Spain's Carl Suneson and two more Britons, David Griffiths and John Bickerton, share second place with Karlsson.

Australia's David Bransdon also holed in one, acing the eighth to shoot a 65 and lie eight-under with tournament favourite Colin Montgomerie.

Challenge Tour: Brian McElhinney's second round as a professional saw a five-stroke improvement on his first at the European Challenge Tour's Tessali-Metaponto Open di Puglia e Basilicata, but his level par 72 was not good enough for him to survive the 143 half-way cut.

Playing in difficult, wet conditions at the Metaponto Golf Club on Italy's south east coast, the British Amateur champion produced a creditable 72, but it was not enough to repair the damage done by his opening 77 at Riva dei Tessali on Thursday.

McElhinney was the first to admit he had learned his first, harsh lesson as a professional, but preferred to focus on his next test at the European Tour's Italian Open in Milan next week.

"It was better today - the conditions were miserable but I played better so I am pleased about that," said the 23-year-old from Donegal.

"I suppose that is a lesson to me about how hard the professional game is, but I always knew that you have to play well to compete, and that applies to every level of the game.

"You don't get away with anything in this game but I'll take a lot from this week and look to improve at the Italian Open next week."

McElhinney will be joined on the plane home by Justin Kehoe, who finished three over par.

Athlone's Colm Moriarty is the sole surviving Irishman in the field at two under par after a second round 70.

Women's Tour: England's Kirsty S Taylor was a step closer to her first tournament victory on the Women's European Tour after she posted a fantastic three under par 69 in the second round of the Tenerife Open at Abama.

Taylor, 26, from Basingstoke in Hampshire, was a shot off the pace after a 72 in Thursday's opening round but had moved two shots clear by midday in round two.

Ireland's Rebecca Coakley was six shots off the pace after a second round 73.

At three under par for the tournament, Taylor was clearly looking to build on her recent maiden victory at the Player's Club in Bristol on the newly formed Pro-Source Tour.

"I've been striking the ball really well and that win was a nice way to start the season," said a delighted Taylor, who looks to join her namesake Kirsty Taylor of Yorkshire in the European T