Raymond Russell’s golfing rehabilitation continued in Italy yesterday as he charged to the front during the second round of the Challenge Tour’s Roma Golf Open at the Olgiata club, writes Nick Rodger.
The 39-year-old, a winner of the European Tour’s Cannes Open 1996, carved out a sparkling six-under 65 for a 10-under 132 and a two-stroke lead over fellow Scot, Callum Macaulay, Italy’s Gregory Molteni and English duo Lloyd Kennedy and Sam Little.
Russell is making only his third appearance of the season having returned to action after being struck down with a fiercely debilitating virus during last December’s South African Open.
The Prestonpans man, who earned promotion to the European circuit through the 2010 Challenge Tour rankings, is hopeful of gaining a medical exemption for 2012 but, for the time being, the former World Cup player is simply enjoying the cut-and-thrust of tournament golf again.
“It feels great to be at the top of the leaderboard but to be honest it is just good to be back competing,” he said. “They still have no idea what the virus was. I was tested for almost everything - Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, HIV, Dengue Fever, River Ross Fever – and they still don’t know.”
Macaulay, needing a big finish this week to secure a place in the season-ending Grand Final, boosted those hopes with a three-under 68 for an eight-under 134.
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