Morgan leads but Price slips in US Tour qualifying

Phillip Price fell back from 26th to 60th with a second-round score of 75 in the US Tour qualifying school competition in Orlando, Florida, yesterday but John Morgan, the former England amateur international from Bristol who turned professional only in April, is the joint leader at the halfway stage.

With the top 21 players and ties go through to the six-round final stage after the 72-hole event, Price is one over par with 145. Morgan, who won on the European Challenge Tour in July and finished eighth on their Order of Merit to earn himself a place on the main circuit next season, but decided to go for his US Tour card as well, added a 69 to his opening 66 to reach halfway on 135, nine under.

The Swedes Mathias Gronberg and Carl Pettersson are 14th and 19th, respectively, on five under and four under, but Essex's Paul Curry slipped to 39th with a level-par 72.

At the qualifying tournament in California, the Italian Emanuele Canonica led after an opening 71, one in front of the Rochdale-born Ed Fryatt.