• Johnnie Walker Championship, Round Two

Garrido grabs Gleneagles lead

Ignacio Garrido leads at the halfway stage © PA Photos

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Spain's Ignacio Garrido produced a late charge to take the outright lead at the halfway stage of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

The Spaniard was one of six players at seven-under, but conjured up a birdie at the 17th to move clear of the field on eight-under after signing for a 69.

Breathing down Garrido's neck is Thomas Bjorn, who followed up an opening-round 68 with a three-under 69 to join four other players on seven-under par. After a fourth place finish at The Open last month, Bjorn failed to reach the cut at the US PGA Championship, but the Dane relished his return to European soil to put himself firmly in contention at the halfway stage.

Joining Bjorn on seven-under are Englishmen Mark Foster and Kenneth Ferrie, who matched the Dane's 69 to to keep himself in the hunt for a first title since 2005. Lorenzo Gagli and Peter Lawrie are also in a share of second place after rounds of 68 and 69 respectively.

James Morrison and Spain's Pablo Larrazabal are a shot further adrift on six-under, while Oliver Wilson carded a 69 to move to five-under.

Defending champion Edoardo Molinari's hopes of retaining his crown are hanging by a thread after he posted a 70 that moves him to level-par. The Italian has struggled this year, recording just one top-ten finish on the European Tour, following a breakthrough debut season in 2010 that featured two titles.

His performance on Friday was more reminiscent of Molinari at his swashbuckling 2010 best, as he stirred up the memories of the win here last year that earned him a place in Colin Montgomerie's Ryder Cup squad. Although there were three bogeys - including a punishing one-two punch on the second and third - he also managed five birdies as his putting showed signs of improvement following a difficult opening day.

His brother Francesco, meanwhile, struggled on day two, but narrowly made the cut after a two-over 74 featuring four bogeys and two birdies saw him slip to level-par for the tournament.

Colin Montgomerie, meanwhile, is at one-under following a steady - if uneventful - round of 73. The world No. 285 continues to struggle from the tee, averaging less than 260 yards, but he scrambled well to hand in a card featuring 13 pars, two birdies and three bogeys.

His Ryder Cup successor, Jose Maria Olazabal, picked up a two-shot penalty on the second hole for hitting the wrong ball, making a double-bogey seven. Olazabal will not be returning for the weekend after a second consecutive round of 74 to leave him well adrift on four-over.

Having claimed his first European Tour victory at the Czech Open last week, Oliver Fisher's hopes of claiming a second title in as many weeks was washed away with a seven-over 76.

His namesake, Ross Fisher, also missed the cut after a doubley bogey seven at the ninth scuppered his chances of returning for the weekend. Fisher was making steady progress with eight straight pars, but after dropping two shots at the ninth, he was unable to recover, and his second-round 74 left him on one-over for the tournament.

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