A visit to Chateau Margaux for a spot of wine tasting yesterday did New Zealand's Greg Turner no harm as he produced a vintage performance to move to ten under par, opening up a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Novotel Perrier Open de France at Golf du Medoc near Bordeaux.
Turner's second round of 65, six under par, was made up of six birdies and 12 pars and for the second successive round his card was unblemished by bogeys.
"I would have been delighted with one or two under so a 65 is a bonus," he said. "I haven't hit too many bad shots. There are a few difficult holes, especially for someone like me hitting fairway woods or long irons. If you can get through those unscathed you have a chance to hit a low number and this is what I managed to do."
Turner leads by one from England's Andrew Sherborne and the local hero Marc Farry. Indeed it was the Frenchman who produced the round of the day with seven birdies in the last nine holes and ten in total for a best-of-the-day 63, eight under par. His round contained only 24 putts.
"It was extraordinary," he said. "I don't think I have ever played nine holes like that. Incredible."
Sherborne added a 67 to his opening 66 to share second place thanks to three consecutive birdies from the 14th, his fifth. Eleven solid pars later took him into a position he last occupied in Qatar last season.
"I felt I gave a two or three shots away yesterday," he said. "Today I didn't play as well but didn't give anything away. I only had a few birdie chances but it's nice to come off the course with a 67."
A shot further back, boosted by the home crowd is another Frenchman, Jeff Remesy, winner of the Estoril Open last month, and South Africa's Retief Goosen.
The cut fell on level par 142 with 77 players progressing to the weekend. With the two Spanish maestro's Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal bowing out it was left to Welshman Ian Woosnam to fly the flag for three Masters Champions in the field.
His round of 68 took him to three under par, seven shots off the lead. "I'm playing all right but didn't get it close enough today," he said. "I can make a charge from where I am and get right back in there tomorrow."
