Suneson tops leaderboard into weekend

Carl Suneson's decision to take a year off to work on his swing, reaped dividends on Friday when the Spaniard's second round four-under-par 67 earned him a one-shot lead in the Aa St-Omer Open.

Suneson's five-under-par 137 is a stroke ahead of overnight leader Kyron Sullivan, Britain's Murray Urquhart, and Ireland's Stephen Browne.

"I took a year off and went to Sarasota to the David Leadbetter Academy to get my swing in shape," said Suneson.

"It's helped me a lot in trying to get to know my swing. I'm playing better so we'll see if I can keep it up at the weekend."

Sullivan's round of 72 kept him in sight of the 18-month European Tour exemption for winning the event combining full tour and Challenge Tour entries.

Urquhart, having missed nine out of the last 10 cuts, asked caddie Scotty Gilmour, 70, to come out of retirement two years after having two knee replacements, to help him this week.

Gilmour has caddied for many of the sport's great players over several decades, including Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Greg Norman.

"He had a bit of bother with his knees but his mind is as sharp as ever," said Urquhart, who shot a second-round 68.

Following the morning disqualification of Andrew Raitt for missing his tee-off time, another Briton, Richard Bland, was disqualified in the afternoon for using "a non-conforming club".

Bland, who was only four strokes off the lead when he was told he was disqualified by tournament director Mikael Eriksson, had damaged his putter earlier but continued to play with it.

"The playing characteristics of the club changed when he bent it and because it had been damaged in other than normal course of play he cannot carry on using it, so when he subsequently used it on the 18th he breached the rule," said Eriksson.

Bland refused to complain.

"I'm disqualified. That's it," he said.

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