Golf: Turner still has share of lead in Open

MELBOURNE - New Zealand golfer Greg Turner is on target to win his second major Australasian tour title in 12 months after retaining his share of the lead at the halfway mark of the Australian Open in Melbourne yesterday.

Turner carded a two-under 70 to finish tied with defending champion Aaron Baddeley.

The young Victorian continued to defy the experts in just his second tournament as a professional, adding a successive three-under 69 in the defence of the championship he won as an 18-year old amateur at Royal Sydney.

Fellow Melbourne golfer Scott Laycock moved into third place, at four under par, one stroke ahead of fellow Australian Peter O'Malley.

Greg Norman, with a 69 yesterday, was in a cluster of players sharing fourth place, including Nick Faldo and former champion Robert Allenby.

Turner began his second round in a three-way tie for the lead, but soon broke the deadlock when he holed a four-metre putt for birdie at the third hole.

Birdies at the 12th and 15th eased the Dunedin golfer to six under.

The Australian PGA champion then missed a one-metre putt for par at the next before regaining a share of the lead with Baddeley, when he rolled in a five-metre birdie at the last.

"I didn't play as well today as I thought I played yesterday, but I'm still very pleased," Turner said. "I didn't hit any destructive shots."

This is a golf course where you have to make sure you don't shoot yourself in the foot and one of the things I have done well these two days is to think my way well around the course."

Meanwhile, New Zealander Michael Long looked a dejected figure in ending his campaign with a 76 for a five-over total of 149. Long managed just one birdie over the two rounds.

He is due to head to the United States early next week, to contest the final stage of the United States Tour School.

Fellow Kiwi Marcus Wheelhouse also missed the halfway cut with similar rounds of 73 and 76.

- NZPA