By Matt Smith
Ewen Ferguson will go into the weekend at the ISPS HANDA World Invitational presented by AVIV Clinics with a one-stroke lead in the men’s event after carding a level par 70 at Massereene Golf Club.

The 26-year-old, who started the second round of the innovative event four strokes clear after setting a new course record at Galgorm Castle Golf Club yesterday with a nine under par 61, made a slower start to the day as he parred the first seven holes.

Starting from the 10th hole, his first birdie of the day came on the 17th hole, his eighth, and he played the front nine in one over with three bogeys and two birdies to sign for a level par round.

The Scotsman is one stroke clear of Virto, of Spain, who followed his five-under 65 at Massereene with a three-under par 67 at Galgorm to reach eight-under. The 31-year-old is in a rich vein of form with four finishes of tied eighth or better in his last seven starts on the Challenge Tour, on which he won twice in 2015.

Filippo Celli, who won the Silver Medal at The 150th Open at St Andrews last month after finishing as low amateur, shares third on seven-under par with Sweden’s Felix Palson, while Scotsman Connor Syme is fifth on six-under.

The ISPS Handa Invitational is tri-sanctioned between the DP World Tour, Ladies European Tour and LPGA, with the men’s and women’s tournaments being played simultaneously.

The final two rounds will be played at Galgorm Castle Golf Club, with the top 60 and ties from the men’s and women’s competition playing on Saturday. There will be a further cut to the leading 30 players and ties from both tournaments for the final round on Sunday. Tee times will alternate between male and female groups on both days.

In the women’s event, American Amanda Doherty remains one stroke ahead with her second consecutive round of 67. She is one stroke ahead of compatriot Lauren Coughlin and five-time Ladies European Tour winner and Solheim Cup player Emily Kristine Pedersen.

Ewen Ferguson

“Still playing nicely, but, a few more bad breaks today and missed a couple of the putts that I’ve kind of been making yesterday to keep my round going,” said Ferguson. “Good putts, but just kind of lipping out, and yesterday they were kind of lipping in. You walk onto the next tee when they lip in, you feel amazing. When you walk on the next tee and they lip out you feel a bit flatter. It was still a good day overall.”

Doherty added: “The putts were going in today. I was hitting the ball well to get it close enough for them to go in, but they were just falling in.

“That was definitely the best part of my game on the front nine. I then tried to hang on on the back nine, but I was putting really well today.

“Leading is not a position I have really been in before on the LPGA, so it’s always fun. It’s nice to know that I have some good, low rounds in me for sure. The last two years on the Epson Tour was a really good learning experience for me, and I think to have put myself in contention so many times last year makes me feel a little bit more comfortable with the position that I’m in now.”

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