Lawrie back on track in Morocco

Francesco Laporta. Picture: Getty Images

Peter Lawrie was delighted to add a 69 to his opening 71 and trail leader Francesco Laporta by just two strokes in the Trophée Hassan II in Morocco.

Reunited with coach Brendan McDaid, who is doubling as his caddie, the 42 year old Dubliner knows he can take a giant step towards winning back his card with a good week at the Robert Trent Jones Snr designed Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat.

Having lost his card last year, Lawrie is desperate to win it back despite enjoying only limited starts.

But with his driver and putter both behaving themselves, he made five birdies and just two bogeys in a joint third best round of the day to share fifth place on four under.

"I came here not having played much," Lawrie said. "Played in the Spanish Open two weeks ago and the form was decent and I was looking forward to coming here because I was here in 2010 and I know the golf course. I really enjoyed it out there. 

"The golf course here is superb but very difficult. You have to drive it straight and putt well and luckily I have done that so far."

Lawrie is especially pleased with his driving, adding: "I have driven it great the majority of the time which is setting me up to shoot a half decent score."

As for his bid to win back his card, he said: "I have my coach on the bag so he's been doing a great job. I've made sure he's double jobbing this week so I am really looking forward to the weekend."

Lawrie is joined for the weekend by Kevin Phelan (70-74, T25), Gary Hurley (71-76, T56) and Paul Dunne (72-76, T63). But Cormac Sharvin played his last three holes in four over to miss the four over par cut by three shots on seven over after a 78.

Michael Hoey was well off the pace on 12 over after a 79 with Rory McNamara near the back of the field on 20 over after an 84.

Italian rookie Laporta will take a one-shot lead into the weekend after following his opening 68 with a 70 to move one shot clear of Australia’s Jason Scrivener, Spaniard Borja Virto and South Korean Jeunghun Wang on six under.

Lawrie is tied for fifth with American Daniel Im and South African Zander Lombard , one stroke ahead of Englishman Gary King and France’s Adrien Saddier.

Round Two Scores (cut on 148, +4):

138 F Laporta (Ita) 68 70,

139 J Wang (Kor) 71 68, B Vierte Astudillo (Esp) 69 70, J Scrivener (Aus) 68 71, 

140 Peter Lawrie (Irl) 71 69, D Im (USA) 71 69, Z Lombard (RSA) 70 70,

141 A Saddier (Fra) 69 72, G King (Eng) 71 70,

142 S Henry (Sco) 71 71, C Bezuidenhout (RSA) 72 70, J Senior (Eng) 72 70, J Lima (Por) 72 70, J White (Eng) 73 69, N Elvira (Esp) 71 71, K Mueck (Aus) 72 70, 

143 M Korhonen (Fin) 70 73, A Cañizares (Esp) 71 72, P Peterson (USA) 71 72, C Hanson (Eng) 72 71, C Berardo (Fra) 70 73, F Serghini (Mar) 71 72, C Shinkwin (Eng) 74 69, S Benson (Eng) 72 71,

144 A Johnston (Eng) 70 74, R Rock (Eng) 74 70, A Otaegui (Esp) 74 70, E Goya (Arg) 69 75, Kevin Phelan (Irl) 70 74, L Nemecz (Aut) 77 67, O Fisher (Eng) 74 70, D Dixon (Eng) 73 71, R McEvoy (Eng) 73 71, N Bertasio (Ita) 72 72,

145 M Manassero (Ita) 72 73, L Jensen (Den) 71 74, M Southgate (Eng) 72 73, D Burmesen (RSA) 71 74, C Doak (Sco) 72 73, S Kapur (Ind) 72 73, B Eccles (Aus) 70 75, N Marsh (Eng) 73 72, T Linard (Fra) 68 77, M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 69 76,

146 M Orrin (Eng) 71 75, A Quiros (Esp) 75 71, A Levy (Fra) 71 75, T Muto (Jpn) 71 75, D Papadatos (Aus) 72 74, A Wall (Eng) 75 71, R Jacquelin (Fra) 73 73, T Lewis (Eng) 71 75, S Webster (Eng) 74 72, B Åkesson (Swe) 73 73, R Paratore (Ita) 70 76,

147 S Gros (Fra) 77 70, M Nixon (Eng) 75 72, J Carlsson (Swe) 75 72, E Pepperell (Eng) 73 74, T Sinnott (Aus) 75 72, Gary Hurley (Irl) 71 76, D Frittelli (RSA) 72 75,

148 Paul Dunne (Irl) 72 76, Y El Hassani (Mar) 69 79, B Hebert (Fra) 76 72, J Knutzon (USA) 74 74, D Brooks (Eng) 77 71, S Manley (Wal) 77 71, C Bouniol (Fra) 76 72, E Molinari (Ita) 76 72, T Pilkadaris (Aus) 76 72, G Bourdy (Fra) 74 74, S Griffiths (Eng) 74 74, P Gustafsson (Swe) 72 76, R Fox (Nål) 74 74, J Hugo (RSA) 76 72, 

CUT

149 R Wattel (Fra) 70 79, M Lundberg (Sie) 75 74, J Ballesteros (Esp) 77 72, M Kinhult (Swe) 72 77, J Robinson (Eng) 72 77, B Evans (Eng) 76 73, M Foster (Eng) 75 74, R Karlsson (Swe) 74 75, G Murray (Sco) 74 75, U Van Den Berg (RSA) 76 73, R Davies (Wal) 73 76, A Bernadet (Fra) 74 75, A Id-Omar (am) (Mar) 77 72,

150 F Fritsch (Ger) 81 69, D Gaunt (Aus) 77 73, R Lynch (Aus) 72 78, S Walker (Eng) 72 78, R Evans (Eng) 78 72, J Fahrerin (Swe) 76 74, E España (Fra) 78 72, M Jonzon (Swe) 75 75, S Hansen (Den) 74 76, G Havret (Fra) 75 75, D Gavins (Eng) 78 72, C Paisley (Eng) 76 74, C Blomstrand (Swe) 77 73, J Quesne (Fra) 73 77,

151 J Kelly (Nor) 74 77, S Jeppesen (Swe) 74 77, J McLeary (Sco) 76 75, Cormac Sharvin (Nir) 73 78, P Oriol (Esp) 77 74, M Crespi (Ita) 78 73, T Lawrence (RSA) 76 75, A McArthur (Sco) 75 76, N Ravano (Ita) 75 76,

152 M Tullo (Chi) 74 78, Y Touhami (am) (Mar) 80 72,

153 R McGowan (Eng) 78 75, J Dick (Eng) 76 77, M Baldwin (Eng) 79 74, N Cullen (Aus) 76 77,

154 D Horsey (Eng) 78 76, J Hansen (Den) 76 78, 

155 L Canter (Eng) 82 73, J Elson (Eng) 76 79, C Heavens (USA) 79 76, M Ford (Eng) 78 77, 

156 Michael Hoey (Nir) 77 79, S Dyson (Eng) 75 81, C Sutherland (Sao) 78 78, A Joudar (Mar) 80 76,

157 C Costilla (Arg) 76 81, J Walters (RSA) 78 79,

158 J Busby (Eng) 82 76,

159 R Green (Aus) 82 77, C Rodels (Esp) 80 79,

162 T Pfister (Sui) 76 86,

164 Rory McNamara (Irl) 80 84,

** B Lane (Eng) 78 WD, R Coles (Eng) 74 RT, K Ferrie (Eng) RT