Buchanan Castle tour pro Jason McCreadie will be 43 years old on Tuesday - but, as leader by two shots at the halfway stage of the £50,000 Gleneagles Scottish PGA Championship - he will delay any celebration until the end of the 72-hole tournament over the Kings Course.
On a perfect day for low scoring - no wind and soft, holding greens - McCreadie added a 66 to his opening 64 for a 12-under-par aggregate in the Tartan Tour's flagship event.
It doubled his first-round advantage over Gareth Wright after the Welshamn followed up his first-round 65 with a 67.
But the pair might not be left to battle it out for the title on their own in the final two rounds after Aberdonian Greg McBain and Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) both surged up the leaderboard.
McBain, winner of the Paul Lawrie Invitational at Deeside last year, was three-over with five holes to play in his first-round 71.
But, helped by a hot putter, the 29-year-old bagged nine birdies second time out in carding an eight-under 63, the best of the week.
It catapulted him into third on eight-under, three ahead of Hutcheon after the Tartan Tour No 1 signed for a 64.
Illuminated by an eagle at the tenth, it helped repair an opening 73 that included a quadruple-bogey 8 at the third.
But McCreadie, a two-time Northern Open winner and , is still the the 2008 winner of the SPGA title, is the man they all have to catch in Perthshire.
"I hit a couple of bad ones today but got away with them, which is was you need," said the leader, who reckons a a win could be written in the stars.
He's working with Rowallan Castle-based Ross Aitken, who helped Graham Fox claim this title at the same venue 12 months ago.
"That's maybe an omen, you never know," added McCreadie with a smile.
The cut fell at four-over, with 37 players making it through to the final two days. The third round starts at 7.30am with McBain, Wright and McCreadie out in the last group at 9.30am.
It doubled his first-round advantage over Gareth Wright after the Welshamn followed up his first-round 65 with a 67.
But the pair might not be left to battle it out for the title on their own in the final two rounds after Aberdonian Greg McBain and Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) both surged up the leaderboard.
McBain, winner of the Paul Lawrie Invitational at Deeside last year, was three-over with five holes to play in his first-round 71.
But, helped by a hot putter, the 29-year-old bagged nine birdies second time out in carding an eight-under 63, the best of the week.
It catapulted him into third on eight-under, three ahead of Hutcheon after the Tartan Tour No 1 signed for a 64.
Illuminated by an eagle at the tenth, it helped repair an opening 73 that included a quadruple-bogey 8 at the third.
But McCreadie, a two-time Northern Open winner and , is still the the 2008 winner of the SPGA title, is the man they all have to catch in Perthshire.
"I hit a couple of bad ones today but got away with them, which is was you need," said the leader, who reckons a a win could be written in the stars.
He's working with Rowallan Castle-based Ross Aitken, who helped Graham Fox claim this title at the same venue 12 months ago.
"That's maybe an omen, you never know," added McCreadie with a smile.
The cut fell at four-over, with 37 players making it through to the final two days. The third round starts at 7.30am with McBain, Wright and McCreadie out in the last group at 9.30am.
Gullane's Emma Fairnie, only the third woman to play in the championship since Meg Farquhar in 1933 and Heather MacRae just a year or two ago, failed by two shots to survive the cut but
she gave it her best shot.
Emma can be proud of a second-round, one-under-par 70 for 148.
She covered her last 10 holes in four under par with birdies at the ninth, 10th, 14th and an eagle 3 at the last. She had a bogey at the 17th but it did not make all that difference as shwe missed the cut by two.
GLENEAGLES SCOTTISH PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Kings Course, Gleneagles Hotel
Par 142 (2x71)
QUALIFIERS
130 J McCreadie (Buchanan castle) 64 66
132 G Wright (West Linton) 65 67
134 G McBain (Gamola Golf) 71 63
137 G Hutcheon (Banchory) 73 64
138 G Fox (Clydeway Golf) 71 67, S Henderson (Kings Links) 71 67.
139 C Kelly (Cawder) 71 68, D Patrick (Kingsfield) 72 67, C Currie (Caldwell) 69 70
140 J McKinnon (Irvine) 70 70, C Ronald (Carluke) 67 73, S Gray (Hayston) 75 65.
141 S Taylor (Bothwell Castle) 69 72, M Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy) 71 70, D Broadfoot (Dumfries and Co) 73 68
142 J Gallagher (Douglas Park) 69 73, C Robinson (Portpatrick Dunskey) 70 72, J Lomas (Caprington) 73 69, D Orr (Mearns Castle) 74 68
143 S Heralde (Mearns Castle) 70 73, K McNicoll (Gullane) 72 71, M Patterson (Kilmacolm) 72 71, S Lamb (Cardrona) 73 70
144 A Mackrell (Playsport) 71 73
145 J Cliff (Murrayfield) 76 69, R Arnott (Bishopbriggs) 74 71, A Duncan (unatt) 78 67, C Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) 73 72, J McGhee (unatt) 73 72, D Wood (Hirsel) 74 71, M Loftus (Mearns Castle) 76 69.wa
146 M Patterson (Cruden Bay) 76 70, P Wardell (Whitekirk) 72 74, S Savage (Dalmuir) 75 71, S Catlin (Greenburn) 70 76, A Reid (West Lothian) 73 73.
MISSED THE CUT
147 A Brown (Archerfield Links) 73 74, G Paxton (Ralston) 75 72, C Russell (RAW golf course design) 73 74, P O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) 71 76
148 Emma Fairnie (Gullane) 78 70
149 T Mathieson (Murcar Links) 74 75
150 P Robinson (Largs) 74 76, A Forrow (Whitekirk) 75 75, K Hutton (Downfield) 71 79, I Taylor (Drumpellier) 73 72
151 P Wilson (Cawder) 76 75, R Cameron (Saltire Energy) 75 76.
152 G Law (Uphall) 79 73, C Elliott (Haggs Castle) 75 77
153 M King (Kingsfield) 78 75, A Jowett (Gleneagles Hotel0 77 76
154 C Smith (Royal Musselburgh) 77 77
155 L Vannet (Carnoustie) 80 75
157 G Robertson (Airdrie) 82 75
158 F Clarke (Newmachar) 77 81, T Dingwall (Nairn Dunbar) 77 78, R King (Carrick on Loch Lomond) 79 80, I Lowdean (Murrayfield) 80 80
161 M Galley (Gleneagles Hotel) 83 78, M Robertson (Balmore) 82 79
162 S O'Donnell (Balbirnie Park) 79 83, M Murray (Brora) 80 82.
172 L Gaughan (Bathgate) 92 80.
ends
Published by scottishgolfview.com
