GOLF:ENGLAND'S James Morrison leads the Alstom French Open, two days after he nearly pulled out of it through illness.
The 26-year-old has suffered from Crohn’s Disease – an intestinal inflammation – for the past decade and it flared up again at the start of the week.
“I almost drove home Wednesday morning, but I’ve had some steroids and it’s calming me down,” Morrison said after a second successive 66.
The round took him to 10 under par and one ahead of Australian Richard Green at halfway at Le Golf National near Paris.
“It’s something I’ve been used to dealing with on a daily basis,” he added. “I’m feeling a little bit drained, but I play better with that because I don’t have expectations
“I feel a bit worse for wear and just stroll through the day.”
Morrison’s decision to choose golf over cricket – he played in the same England Youths team as current one-day captain Alastair Cook and Tim Bresnan – has already paid dividends.
He won in his rookie season last year and has earned over €600,000, but there is a first prize of over €500,000 on offer this weekend and also a place in the British Open.
Morrison had missed his last four cuts and last July crashed out by eight shots at the 2018 Ryder Cup venue, but covered the front nine in a five-under 31 to take over at the top.
Joint overnight leader Green then reached 11 under, but a double-bogey six on the seventh meant they swapped places again.
Former winner Graeme Storm, the other player to start with a 65, came to grief with a quadruple-bogey eight on the 18th, hitting two balls into the lake short of the green. However, he still made the cut, unlike several of the big guns.
Out went defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez, Darren Clarke, American star Bubba Watson – far from happy with the camera-happy crowd – and last week’s winner Pablo Larrazabal.
World number four Martin Kaymer, champion two years ago, shot 69 to move to two under, one better than Colin Montgomerie, who now needs a magical weekend to take the Open spot he so craves.
Mark Foster, joint third last week after leading with a round to go, is in third place, but four behind Morrison.
Paul McGinley shot a second consecutive level par 71 to make the cut and Peter Lawrie also squeezed in on a total of 144 following a 70 yesterday.
However, Shane Lowry missed out despite a 69 yesterday which followed an opening 78.
Former US Open champion Michael Campbell’s fortunes continued to improve when a four-under 67 gave him a chance of victory after six years of misery.
The New Zealander’s form has deteriorated badly since he won the 2005 US Open. The last of his eight European Tour wins came six years ago and in 2010 he finished 244th on the money-list.
However, three rounds in the 60s in the last week, including a 66 when he narrowly failed to qualify for the British Open, has inspired him.
KJ Choi was setting the pace at the ATT National in Pennsylvania following a second round of 64 at Aronimink GC. Chris Riley and Charlie Wi were leading the chasing pack after recording 66s.
