ROYAL Aberdeen’s Richie Ramsay leads Richard Bland and home favourite Colm Moriarty by one stroke at the halfway mark of the Challenge of Ireland in Athlone.

Ramsay ironed out his problematic putting after taking 38 putts in his second round en route to missing the cut in Wales last week – a performance on the greens that he admitted was a career low point.

That came in only his second event back after a frustrating four week layoff caused by a rib injury suffered playing football, which saw him slip down the top 20 to 39th in the rankings.

But Ramsay carded a two-under-par round of 70 yesterday to go into the weekend leading a tournament at this stage for the first time, on eight under par.

The 25 year old carded six birdies and two bogeys, finishing with back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17 before dropping a shot on the last hole.