14/01/09

25-year-old Gordon Yates has kept his game on course during his first call of international duty this year at the Mission Hills Asia-Pacific Open Amateur Championship, currently underway (13-16 January).

Carding a two-under-par 70 in his second round, Yates has propelled himself from a share of second place to the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage.

Yates, a semi-finalist in last year’s Allied Surveyors Scottish Amateur Championship, has found early season form to string together two sub par rounds and is currently 3-under-par following the second day of the 72-hole tournament.

Demonstrating his prowess again on the World Cup course in China, Yates’ only blight today was on the par three 5th (which he also bogeyed yesterday), however birdies on the 3rd, 7th, and 8th and parring the remainder saw the Hilton Park player take a three shot lead over his rivals.

Vasin Sripattranusorn from Thailand is tied for second place with Wen Ting Wu from Taipei, currently level par for his two rounds. Whilst James Frazer from Wales is currently the best performer from the rest of the home nations, on one over par to date.

Colville Park’s Ross Kellett endured a difficult second round aided by just two birdies, which helped alleviate his back nine littered with bogeys and a triple at the penultimate hole to card a disappointing 80. The 21-year-old Scotland international needs a consistent third round to improve on his current standing on 12-over-par.

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