• Open de France, Round Two

Morrison takes charge at halfway stage

James Morrison fired a bogey-free 66 on day two © Getty Images

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Englishman James Morrison took the halfway lead in the Open de France after a second successive round of 66 to put him ten-under and in the lead by one in Paris.

Morrison, who almost pulled out of the tournament on Tuesday after he was admitted to hospital when his Crohn's disease resurfaced, overcame a passive start to roll in five birdies and match his first-round score, taking him to 10-under for the tournament.

Australian Richard Green provides the strongest challenge, with only a double-bogey at the seventh (his 16th) preventing him from being ahead of Morrison after managing five birdies without error earlier his round, while Mark Foster is three shots further back after matching Green's 68.

Richie Ramsay remains in contention on five-under after following up his opening 69 with a fluent 68. The Scot was metronomic with the irons, once again finding 15 greens in regulation and, if he can lower his putts per round below 30, he could push for a first win of the season.

Former champion Paul Broadhurst was left to rue dropped shots late in his round as he failed to build on Thursday's encouraging round of 68. Steady rather than spectacular play left him on three-under for the day heading to the 15th, but errors crept into his game and a couple of bogeys saw him sign for a 70.

The 45-year-old, who is seeking a top 10 in order to qualify for next week's Scottish Open, sits on four-under for the week but admitted the course is proving challenging.

"Daunting course, as well, with the finish we've got out there, you can never sort of relax," he said. Every shot you've got to concentrate on.

"But it's always nice to come back to a course you've done well on. The first name we saw on the board was Stormy and he always seems to do well around here, and obviously I've had my moments around here as well. It's nice to come back here.

"Ideally, a top 10 this week or better will get me in next week to the Scottish Open. Just take it from week to week really."

Of the more high profile names in the field, Martin Kaymer is back in the field at two-under after a second round of 69, while a brutal 75 from Matteo Manassero saw him tumble out of serious contention at one-over.

Defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez endured a nightmare day, despite holing a tremendous eagle at the par-five third. Beginning on the back nine, the Spaniard was immediately on the back foot after an opening bogey.

Two more followed as well as a quadruple bogey on 14, leaving him with a mountain to climb as he reached the turn. A brief bit of magic coming in failed to spark him into life, and he will miss the cut after posting an eight-over 79.

Bubba Watson was another to miss out on a weekend berth, the American carding an error-strewn 74 to leave him scratching his head on six-over. After reaching the turn in level-par, Watson ran into trouble at the first before getting himself in a huge mess at the following hole, which he left with a double-bogey five.

Regardless of his usual power, Watson strayed off line too often and, consequently, paid the price by missing the cut - something he was not too impressed about.

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