Bradley Dredge holds a narrow one-shot lead at the Russian Open
Saturday 5 September 2015 23:02, UK
Bradley Dredge fired a five-under 66 to move one shot clear of Lee Slattery after the second round of the Russian Open.
Resuming one shot back from overnight pacesetters Scott Jamieson and Daniel Gaunt, Dredge got off to a flying start with three birdies over the opening four holes at Skolkovo Golf Club before picking up two more gains during a solid bogey-free round.
Dredge's second successive 66 temporarily gave the Welshman a two-shot advantage, only for Slattery to halve his lead with a strong finish to his four-under 67.
"I'm delighted, back-to-back 66s and no dropped shots so I'm very pleased with that," Dredge said. "The pin positions are the course's main defence and they were quite tough today, you had to be careful going into the greens.
"I found the greens to be absolutely perfect, I got the speed and got the lines spot on and I putted great today.
"If I could get two more rounds of 66 that would be tough to beat, but it's only halfway through."
Slattery carded five birdies over his final eight holes to get to nine under for the week, with first-round joint-leader Gaunt a further stroke back after closing his two-under 69 with bogeys at the fourth and eighth.
"I got off to a decent start again today," Gaunt said. "I hit some good shots early on, and then on my back nine it just stalled a little bit and I found the pin positions pretty tough.
"I've been happy with the way I've stuck in, been patient and played one shot at a time."
In a congested field where 26 players head into the weekend within five of the lead, former champion Michael Hoey recovered from an early blemish to post a second-round 66 and join Max Kieffer and last year's winner David Horsey in the group at five under.
Despite heading into the second round just two off the lead, Sam Hutsby dropped eight strokes during a six-hole stretch around the turn on his way to a six-over 77 and a missed cut, joining Edoardo Molinari on two over for the week as the Italian finished his day with back-to-back bogeys.
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Former tennis world No 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov also made an early exit despite finishing back-to-back 77s with a birdie, with Peter Holland also ended 12 over for the tournament after following an encouraging first-round 69 with a bogey-filled 85.
The highest round of the day, though, once again went to Belgium's Ced Lescut, who made his first birdie of the week at the par-four last but still propped up the leaderboard on 38 over thanks to an 18-over-par 89.
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