Things are looking up for Colm Moriarty. Photo Jenny Matthews/www.golffile.ieColm Moriarty believes he has turned a corner with his confidence after he remained in contention at the Credit Suisse Challenge, writes the European Challenge Tour.

The Glasson touring professional carded battling one under 70 to move to five under par and just three shots off the lead at halfway.

After opening with a birdie at the ninth hole, his first, the 33 year old looked to be falling out of the title chase thanks to bogeys at the 11th, 13th and 15th. But he staged a superb comeback with birdies on the 17th, first third and ninth holes.

Having struggled on the second day in recent tournaments, it was a welcome change for Moriarty, who admitted after the opening day in Switzerland that he had done some soul-searching in the week prior to this tournament after a poor run of form.

“I didn’t start very well,” said the one-time Challenge Tour winner from Athlone. “It was a bit of a scrappy start but it’s nice to get in one under. There wasn’t much wind early on but if you get in that rough you’re struggling. You take it for granted if you hit it down the middle but it’s hard to get to the green from 150 yards if you’re in the rough.

“I was happy to make three birdies in the last 10 or 11 holes to steady the ship a bit. It’s a good feeling to battle back like that because a couple of times this year I started off well but had bad second rounds so that plays on your mind a bit.

“You just have to slow it down and play one shot at a time. It’s the first time I’ve been in contention going into the weekend this year so I’m looking forward to it and it’s certainly time to get some results on the board.

“It’s boring stuff but you just have to take every shot as it comes, you can’t be thinking about tomorrow or next week so it’s a constant battle to get control of the head.

“I think I have turned a corner. I’ll take a lot of confidence from this because things haven’t been going my way and I’ve had a few bad second rounds so it’s nice to put a good second round on top of a good first round and get in a good position for the weekend.”

Birr’s Stephen Grant missed the cut by two shots after a late double bogey saw him finish on one over after a 73.

Meanwhile, Garry Houston of Wales and Finland’s Janne Mommo were tied for the lead going into the weekend’s play after they both carded six under par second rounds of 65 to add to respective opening rounds of 69 and take to the top on eight under par.

Incredibly, Houston soared to the summit despite being diagnosed with vertigo just last Sunday before almost pulling out of the tournament due to an onset of symptoms.

Credit Suisse Challenge on the European Challenge Tour at Golf Sempachersee, near Lucerne in Switzerland.

134 G Houston (Wal) 69 65, J Mommo  (Fin) 69 65,

135 L Goddard  (Eng) 71 64, A Kaleka  (Fra) 70 65, A Perrino  (Ita) 69 66,

136 J Busby (Eng) 69 67, A Domingo (Esp) 68 68, G Stal  (Fra) 69 67, J Hansen  (Den) 62 74,

137 J McLeary  (Sco) 68 69, R Kakko  (Fin) 74 63, S Wakefield (Eng) 67 70, M Rominger  (Sui) 69 68, L Jensen (Den) 66 71, C Hanson (Eng) 68 69, C Moriarty (Irl) 67 70,

138 D Vancsik (Arg) 68 70, J Gibb (Eng) 69 69, B Parker  (Eng) 70 68, D Brooks (Eng) 69 69, P Archer (Eng) 68 70, H Joannes  (Bel) 67 71, J Clément  (Sui) 69 69, D Gaunt (Aus) 69 69,

139 S Pinckney (USA) 69 70, S Tiley (Eng) 67 72, D Ulrich (Sui) 68 71, A Hartø  (Den) 69 70, A Gee  (Eng) 72 67, R Steiner (Aut) 68 71, A Velasco (Esp) 72 67, M Delpodio  (Ita) 71 68, A Snobeck  (Fra) 67 72, J Heath  (Eng) 69 70, S Davis (Eng) 71 68, B Chapellan (Fra) 70 69, B Rusch (am) (Sui) 69 70,

140 O Wilson (Eng) 66 74, S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) 70 70, A Levy (Fra) 67 73, V Riu  (Fra) 70 70, A McArthur  (Sco) 69 71, M Carlsson  (Swe) 70 70, J Mikkelsen (Nor) 69 71, P Baker (Eng) 72 68, A Tadini (Ita) 70 70, C Macaulay  (Sco) 69 71, M Nixon (Eng) 72 68, C Doak (Sco) 70 70,

141 B Koepka  (USA) 71 70, M Haines  (Eng) 73 68, N Bertasio (Ita) 71 70, B Evans  (Eng) 70 71, S Benson (Eng) 73 68, A Bernadet  (Fra) 72 69, B Etchart  (Esp) 73 68, M Bothma (RSA) 71 70, N Meitinger  (Ger) 69 72, M Madsen  (Den) 71 70, M Kieffer (Ger) 72 69, J Wahlqvist (Swe) 68 73,

 

CUT

 

142 F Fritsch  (Ger) 69 73, D Lokke (Den) 69 73, R Russell (Sco) 74 68, D Geminiani (Ita) 71 71, J Bragulat  (Esp) 72 70, J Abbott (Eng) 69 73, J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 72 70, B Ritthammer (Ger) 71 71, E De La Riva  (Esp) 69 73, C Aguilar  (Esp) 70 72, W Besseling  (Ned) 74 68, T Remkes (Ned) 71 71, N Lemke (Swe) 70 72, C Blaesi  (Sui) 70 72, M Ford (Eng) 66 76, N Dougherty  (Eng) 71 71, F De Vries  (Ned) 74 68, R Dinwiddie  (Eng) 74 68,

143 E Bertheussen (Nor) 70 73, S Grant  (Irl) 70 73, K Benz (Sui) 71 72, F Praegant (Aut) 71 72, F Delamontagne  (Fra) 73 70, J Rask (Swe) 75 68, A Tampion  (Aus) 72 71, M Brown (Nzl) 73 70, J Barnes (Eng) 74 69, E Kofstad (Nor) 72 71, P Edberg (Swe) 71 72, R Echenique (Arg) 75 68, J Walters (RSA) 70 73, N Sulzer  (Sui) 70 73, Å Nilsson (Swe) 69 74, S Franky (Col) 75 68,

144 N Ravano (Ita) 70 74, S Buhl (Ger) 71 73, M Glauert (Ger) 71 73, P Fendt (Aut) 72 72, C Brazillier  (Fra) 75 69, P Relecom  (Bel) 71 73, F Calmels  (Fra) 76 68, I Elvira  (Esp) 73 71, B Pastore (Ita) 75 69, M Dobias (am) (Sui) 75 69,

145 A Knappe (Ger) 71 74, J Schmid (Sui) 73 72, S Jeppesen  (Swe) 73 72, F Svanberg  (Sui) 73 72, J Parry (Eng) 71 74, P Gustafsson (Swe) 70 75, R Quiros  (Esp) 72 73, M Cryer (Eng) 74 71, A Maestroni  (Ita) 70 75, P Karantzias (Gre) 72 73, B Åkesson (Swe) 71 74, E Amacher (am) (Sui) 73 72,

146 H Bacher (Aut) 73 73, B Barham (Eng) 73 73, J Doherty  (Sco) 77 69, G Lockerbie  (Eng) 74 72, J Burnier (Sui) 75 71, R Harrison (Eng) 74 72, S Henry  (Sco) 74 72,

147 G Watremez (Bel) 73 74, A Ahokas (Fin) 73 74, E Pepperell (Eng) 75 72, J Girrbach (am) (Sui) 72 75,

148 T Hatton (Eng) 77 71, R McGowan  (Eng) 74 74, P Dwyer (Eng) 76 72, J Lima  (Por) 73 75, R De Sousa (Sui) 73 75, G Dear (Sco) 77 71,

149 M Crespi  (Ita) 75 74, C Gane (Eng) 75 74, M Iten (am) (Sui) 74 75,

150 J Huldahl (Den) 75 75, A Parr (Can) 75 75, A Hortal  (Esp) 73 77, J Dantorp (Swe) 78 72, C Russo (Fra) 74 76,

151 J Kaske (Fin) 74 77, N D’Incau  (Sui) 76 75,

152 F McGuirk  (Eng) 73 79, P Erofejeff (Fin) 76 76, R Wiederkehr (Sui) 77 75, J Maurer  (Aut) 75 77, M Eggenberger (am) (Sui) 79 73,

153 J Johnson (Eng) 76 77, I Giner (Esp) 75 78,

154 D McKenzie (Aus) 76 78,

155 P Gal  (Cze) 77 78, M Higley (Eng) 74 81,

160 U Weinhandl (Aut) 76 84,

175 J Svoboda (Cze) 91 84