Hutcheon and Fox in hunt at Deer Park

Man-in-form Greig Hutcheon shares the lead with Graham Fox at the halfway stage of the £15,810 Deer Park Masters at the Livingston venue.

Both fired five-under-par 67s to be a shot ahead of third placed Graeme Brown (Montrose Links)

Paul Lawrie Golf Centre player Hutcheon has won two and been second three times in his last seven Tartan Tour events, having won the Ellon pro-am on July 31.

Hutcheon got off to a great start with birdies at the first two holes. Although he dropped a shot at the third, he birdied the long eighth on his way to a two-under-par outward half of 34.

The reigning Order of Merit champion had a bogey-free inward half of 33, studded with three further birdies at the 13th, 14th and 18th.

Fox (Clydeway Golf) took longer to warm up to the task in hand and was one over par on the eighth tee. Then he got in the mood and covered the remaining holes with birdies at the eighth, ninth, 10th,14th,16th and 17th, that inward 32 including twos at the short 10th and 16th.

Brown matched Hutcheon's 34 for the first nine, thanks to an eagle three at the eighth but he shed a shot at the long 14th and needed a grandstand finish of birdies at the 15th, 16th and 17th to stay in touch with the co-leaders.