Dougherty joined by compatriot Boyd at Omega European Masters
Nick Dougherty continued to lead the Omega European Masters after five holes of his second round in Switzerland today – but he was not on his own at the top any more.
After 21 successive missed cuts going back to last November the 29-year-old from Liverpool had started to the first qualifying event for next year’s Ryder Cup with an eight under par 63.
That put him two clear of the star-studded field, but that was wiped out when fellow Englishman Gary Boyd eagled the par five first.
Dougherty had reached nine under with a birdie on the second, but his first bogey of the week followed immediately.
Irish Open winner Simon Dyson, meanwhile, was only one behind after birdies at the 10th and 12th, but world number two Lee Westwood fell five back with an opening bogey.
Boyd, chasing his first European Tour victory, followed his eagle with three bogeys in the next four holes to drop back to sixth on five under.
Dyson, in contrast, had his third birdie on the long 14th, but he was still one behind as Dougherty had reached nine under with a three at the 324-yard sixth.
Open champion Darren Clarke made a bad start like Westwood, dropping strokes on the 13th and long 14th before hitting back with a birdie on the next.
He was three under and joint 16th, while Westwood returned to four under at the 14th.
Parring the final three holes of the front nine was good enough to take Dougherty two ahead again as Dyson bogeyed the 18th.
The big move of the day was coming from his playing partner Marc Warren.
Only 150th on the money list – Dougherty’s name does not even appear because he has yet to earn his first penny of the year – the Scot eagled the first and then had five birdies in six holes from the third.
Out in a seven-under 29, he had improved from four over to three under and was up from joint 135th in the 154-strong field to joint 14th.
