| Paris,
France, 26th June 1998 -
Scotland's Sam Torrance maintained a 2-stroke lead in the £500,000 French Open
today, firing a second-round 2-under-par 70 for a 134 total. Italy's
Massimo Florioli birdied the 18th for a 67 and 136. South
African Michael Campbell and Frenchman Marc Farry, who birdied five of the last
six holes, shots 67s for 137. "My
game is right in the slot," Torrance said. "I love this course and I
was swinging even better today, which is tremendous for my chances this weekend."
The 44-year-old
Torrance needs a top three finish to gain an exemption into the British Open.
He had four
birdies and two bogeys Friday, and had four other birdie chances. Five-time
European No. 1 Colin Montgomerie rallied from an opening 74 for a 68 and a 142
total. Starting
at the 19th, Montgomerie made seven birdies in 15 holes and dropped only one shot
before three-putting the 17th. At
the seventh, a bad bounce on hard ground on the fringe of the green sent his ball
into deep rough, and the Scot took two shots to get out for a double-bogey 6.
As he left the
green, he poked the ground disgustedly with his putter. The putter-head dropped
off and the irascible Montgomerie putted with his eight-iron to par the two remaining
holes. Montgomerie
escaped sanction. "Breaking
a putter in anger would be sanctioned under 'general etiquette,' "tournament
director David Garland said. "But according to witnesses, this was not the
case. "It
apparently was the third putter of this type that he has broken this year."
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