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Coltart moves into contention

Scotland's Andrew Coltart carded a pair of long-range birdie putts Friday en route to his second straight 68 and a share of the 36-hole lead with Welshman Bradley Dredge at the Great North Open.

Dredge, seeking his first win on the European Tour, shot 67 to join Coltart with a two-day total of eight-under-par 136.

England's Paul Casey, a rookie who played his college golf at Arizona State, stands alone in third at seven-under after a second-round 66. Belgium's Nicolas Vanhootegem and Jamie Spence of England are knotted in fourth at minus-six.

Three shots off the pace is Australia's Richard Green, who fired an eight- under 64 Friday to break the course record by one stroke at the De Vere Slaley Hall, a course in the running to host the 2009 Ryder Cup.

Daren Lee of England, the first-round leader after an opening 66, turned in a 74 to drop into a tie for eighth place at four-under 140.

Coltart knocked a sand wedge to two feet for a birdie at his first hole, the 10th. He gave the shot back with a bogey at 11 but rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt at the 12th followed by a 50-footer at the 13th.

Although Coltart bogeyed the second he added birdies at the three remaining even-numbered holes, including one from 40 feet at the sixth.

Coltart captured the 1998 Qatar Masters for his only European Tour win. His best finish this season was a tie for fifth at last month's Deutsche Bank - SAP Open TPC of Europe.

Dredge, hoping to better his career-best sixth-place finish from the 2000 Irish Open, also started on the back nine and posted birdies at the 12th and 13th. He made four birdies over a five-hole stretch on the front side only to end with a bogey at the ninth.

"It's a bit annoying to finish like that," said the 27-year-old Dredge.

Lee Westwood, the 2000 Order of Merit winner and the winner of this event last year, struggled to rounds of 81-74 to miss the 36-hole cut by nine strokes.

Friday's cut fell at two-over-par 146 and included 75 players.

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