String of birdies takes Emerson soaring to top of leaderboard

The English pair Gary Emerson and Paul Broadhurst used their experience to good effect in the second round of the KLM Open here yesterday to occupy the top two spots on the leaderboard.

The English pair Gary Emerson and Paul Broadhurst used their experience to good effect in the second round of the KLM Open here yesterday to occupy the top two spots on the leaderboard.

Broadhurst was one of the five joint leaders on four under par overnight, but Emerson came from further back to post a round of 63 and take control on the second day at eight-under.

The Wimborne golfer hit nine birdies, including eight in 11 holes mid-round. A bogey at the fourth dropped him back to level but that was the start of an amazing stretch as three birdies took him to the turn in 33.

That was nothing compared to what was to come as he picked up shots which gave him a share of the lead with Swede Henrik Nystrom at six-under. But the Dorset golfer was not finished and a 35-foot putt from the fringe of the 14th green took him clear.

He was four feet from winning a BMW at the 15th when he hit his eighth birdie of the day. He gave one shot back at the next when his curving 18-foot par putt stopped short but returned to eight-under with another birdie at the 18th and a back nine of 30.

l Tiger Woods, Chris DiMarco and Britain's Luke Donald - first, second and third in the Masters in April - have been paired together for the opening two rounds of the US Open at Pinehurst next Thursday and Friday.