Colsaerts leads as Hoey slips back

Ulsterman Michael Hoey is four shots behind Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts at the halfway stage of the Challenge Tour's AGF-Allianz Open Côtes d’Armor Bretagne.

The former Walker Cup star and British Amateur champion shot a two-over par 72 at Golf BlueGreen de Pléneuf Val André to share ninth place on two-under par.

Colsaerts, who is  the professional at Waterloo Golf Club, carded a five under par round of 65 but is just two strokes ahead of England’s Andrew Butterfield, Sweden’s Andreas Högberg and rising star Estanisloa Goya of Argentina.

Londoner Butterfield, who moved into contention with his second consecutive round of 68, said: “This game’s all about consistency, and I guess you can’t get much more consistent than that.”

Butterfield credits a change of coach in his upturn in fortunes, and leader Colsaerts has also recently been making wholesale changes to his set-up.

The Belgian, seeking his maiden Challenge Tour title, said: “I should’ve changed my grip years ago, because it wasn’t really working for me. I’ve done a lot of work and practice on it over the winter, but I still didn’t expect to do so well here, because I haven’t played competitively for a few months. Maybe I should take a break more often!”

One player who is match sharp is Goya, currently the leader in the Rankings after one win and two top five finishes in his last three tournaments.

The young Argentine, playing his first event in Europe as a professional, said: “I hope to follow Andres Romero and Angel Cabrera onto The European Tour – that is my dream.” 

Ballyclare's Gareth Maybin, 58th in the rankings after three events, is six shots behind Colsaerts on level par after superb, two-under par 68 that featured five birdies and three bogeys. 

Glasson's Colm Moriarty failed to build on his opening 68 with a 74 dropping him back to tied 35th on two-over.

But  Stephen Browne came back strongly on the second day, adding a one-under par 69 to his first round 75 to make the cut on the four-over par mark.

After starting with a 70, Derry's Michael McGeady had a forgettable 78 and no birdies to crash out on eight-over par.

Waterville's David Higgins retired after just six holes of his second round on nine over par.

Starting they day on five-over par, the Kerryman nipped back a shot at the 11th but double bogeyed the 13th and 14th and then bogeyed the 15th before pulling out.

Scores, Day Two:
134 N Colsaerts (Bel) 69 65;

136 A Högberg (Swe) 68 68; A Butterfield (Eng) 68 68; E Goya (Arg) 70 66;

137 D Drysdale (Sco) 65 72; R Rock (Eng) 68 69; A Tampion (Aus) 71 66; D Horsey (Eng) 68 69;

138 C-E Russo (Fra) 66 72; M Higley (Eng) 72 66; M Hoey (NIR) 66 72; J McLeary (Sco) 68 70;

139 S Davis (Eng) 69 70; J Van Hauwe (Fra) 70 69; S P Webster (Eng) 68 71; J Wahlqvist (Swe) 71 68;

140 J Garcia (Esp) 71 69; R Ramsay (Sco) 70 70; G Maybin (NIR) 72 68; M Dieu (Fra) 71 69; A Tadini (Ita) 72 68; J Haegmann (Swe) 66 74; A Gee (Eng) 70 70; G Boyd (Eng) 71 69; N Vanhootegem (Bel) 73 67;

141 G Clark (Eng) 65 76; G Davies (Eng) 69 72; M Pilkington (Wal) 70 71; C Brazillier (Fra) 69 72; C Gane (Eng) 70 71; S Benson (Eng) 72 69; D Park (Wal) 71 70; S Son-Houi (Fra) 70 71; R Treis (Ger) 71 70;

142 L Dodd (Eng) 73 69; C Moriarty (Irl) 68 74; G Murray (Sco) 68 74; A Mörk (Fra) 68 77; A Bruschi (Ita) 69; M Zions (Aus) 67 75; J Theunis (Bel) 70 72; J-N Billot (Fra) 71 71; N Joakimides (Fra) 71 71; R Coles (Eng) 72 70; T Remkes (Ned) 73 69;

143 A Marshall (Eng) 68 75; R Bland (Eng) 68 75; S O’Hara (Sco) 69 74; E Ramsay (Sco) 73 70; M Thorp (Nor) 74 69; A S Hansen (Den) 71 72; C Menut (Fra) 71 72; T Feyrsinger (Aut) 72 71; K Sullivan (Wal) 74 69; J Guerrier (Fra) 68 75; O Whiteley (Eng) 71 72; F Henge (Swe) 71 72;

144 T Schuster (Ger) 71 73; J Xanthopoulous (Fra) 70 74; B Mason (Eng) 71 73; S Delagrange (Fra) 73 71; A Snobeck (Fra) 75 69; G A Clark (Eng) 71 73; G Canizares (Esp) 75 69; S Browne (Ire) 75 69; J Clément (Sui) 72 72; W Besseling (Ned) 69 75; R McEvoy (Eng) 69 75; M Reale (Ita) 73 71;

145 M Cort (Eng) 69 76; A Bernadet (Fra) 72 73; K Baraka (Ger) 71 74; J Ruth (Eng) 72 73; M F Haastrup (Den) 73 72; F Cupillard (Fra) 74 70; T Milford (Eng) 70 75; T Dier (Ger) 72 73; L Gagli (Ita) 74 71; I van Weerelt (Ned) 74 71; J Little (Eng) 69 76; M Cort (Eng) 69 76; B Evans (Eng) 70 75; R Cabrera Bello (Esp) 71 74;

146 A Bossert (Sui) 75 71; F Calmels (Fra) 75 71; J Huldahl (Den) 72 74; M Quiros (Esp) 74 72; M King (Eng) 70 76; G Acosta (Arg) 74 72; P Del Grosso (Arg) 75 71;

147 C Farrelly (Irl) 70 77; C Dubois (Fra) 72 75; I Goroneskoul (Fra) 72 75; J Quesne (Fra) 71 76; J Hepworth (Eng) 74 73; D Carter (Eng) 76 71;

148 P Rowe (Eng) 74 74; O David (Fra) 76 72; B-T Lecuona (Fra) 72 76; J Axgren (Swe) 75 73; D Wardrop (Eng) 76 72; C Del Moral (Esp) 74 74; A McArthur (Sco) 73 75; L Corfield (Eng) 77 71; M McGeady (Irl) 70 78; L Bond (Wal) 70 78; J M Hoyos (Col) 74 74; S Jeppesen (Swe) 74 74; M Farry (Fra) 73 75;

149 R Steiner (Aut) 72 77; L Matthews (Wal) 71 78; M Crespi (Ita) 71 78;

150 T Dykes (Wal) 75 75; R Bechu (Fra) 71 79; N Walker (Eng) 78 72; A Taupin (Fra) 74 76; A Andersson (Swe) 75 75;  

151 J Foret (Fra) 74 77; R De Sousa (Sui) 77 74; J-M Gougeon (Fra) 73 78;

152 G Plumet (Fra) 73 79; J Parron 76 76; J Parron (Esp) 76 76;

153 J Quesne (Fra) 75 78; R Eyraud (Fra) 75 78; E Chamaulte (Fra) 77 76; F Schoettel (Fra) 79 74;

154 L Brovold (Nor) 76 78; J P Cixous (Fra) 77 77; M D Smith (Eng) 77 77; R Swane (Ned) 79 75; D Ulrich (Sui) 80 74; J Heath (Eng) 74 80;

155 T Cruz (Por) 76 79; B Bozio (Fra) 72 83; D Perrier (Fra) 76 79;

157 A Willey (Eng) 80 77; A Joudar (Mar) 80 77; K Le Sager (Fra) 77 80; Y Petit-Dubousquet (Fra) 81 76; 

158 M Bliss (Can) 79 79; E Chaudouet (Fra) 80 78;

159 B Coathalem (Fra) 76 83;

RET’D E Rush (Eng); D Higgins (Irl); G Emerson (Eng); R Guillard (Fra);