A SECOND round of one-under-par 70 kept Simon Thornton in the hunt for the Roma Golf Open title.

The Co Down based professional moved to five under par and a share of seventh position at the halfway stage, just five shots off the lead held by Scotland’s Raymond Russell.

Colm Moriarty is by no means out of the tournament after notching two birdies in his closing three holes to go one under par at the Olgiata Golf Club, but he will have to produce two low-scoring weekend rounds if he is to achieve his goal of a top three finish in order to qualify for the elite 45-man Challenge Tour Grand Final in three weeks’ time.

While Thornton has no such worries about qualifying for the Grand Final, the 34-year-old, currently 15th in the rankings and in position to win one of the 20 European Tour cards on offer through the Challenge Tour, is looking to break into the top 10 in order to guarantee the best possible category for next year.

One man going in the wrong direction was the other Irishman in the field, Niall Kearney, whose second round 74 for a 12 over total ensured an early flight home.

Meanwhile, Denis O’Sullivan was just five shots off Gary Wolstenholme’s lead after the first round of the Benahavis Senior Masters, in the south of Spain, after the Corkman carded a one under par round of 70.

Des Smyth had a tough day as he carded just one birdie in a three over par round of 74 which left him tied 47th, while Northern Ireland’s Jimmy Heggarty was tied 37th after a two over par 73.

Graeme McDowell missed the cut at The McGladrey Classic at Sea Island in Georgia after a 71 left him on one over.

American Michael Thompson was the clubhouse leader after a second-straight 65 saw him move to 10 under, two shots clear of South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen.