Kearney hits the birdie trail in France

Sihwan Kim of Korea. ©Getty ImagesNiall Kearney is just five shots off the lead with one hole of his second round to complete in the weather-delayed Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge.

The Dubliner, 25, moved swigtly through the field a day disrupted by thunderstorms, carding six birdies and just one bogey in one of the rounds of the day near Roen in northeast France.

After following a birdie two at the second with a bogey at the sixth, the former Walker Cup star reeled off a hat-trick of birdies from the eighth and then picked up further shots with birdie fours at the 12th and 15th.

After three suspensions, play was eventually suspended with Kearney in the middle of the 18th fairway and tied for eighth place behind Sihwan Kim of Korea, who fired a second round 64 to top the leaderboard by a shot on 15 under from Frenchman Edouard Espana. Scores

“I’ve played two rounds of really solid golf,” explained the Orlando based Korean. “I didnt really miss too many greens, and made some putts out there. The greens are a little soft, but I have tried to factor that into my game, and although the course doesn’t really fit my eye, I was able to get it round.

“I don’t really mind this kind of golf, having to make a lot of birdies. At any golf tournament, every round, if I could give myself good looks at birdies inside 20 feet then I’m OK with that.

“I started off quite rough this year, but I have been playing pretty well since then, and I hope it gets better from here.”

Overnight leader Daan Huizing has only completed nine holes of his second round, and a bogey at the eighth has the Dutchman one over par on the day, and in a tie for eighth alonside Kearney on ten under.

Ballyliffin’s Brendan McCarroll was a shot inside the projeted cut mark at four under par, level for the day, through 15 holes.