GED Furey's troubled season continued when he missed the cut by a shot in his defence of the £18,000 De Vere Hotels PGA North Region Championship at Heron's Reach, Blackpool, yesterday.

The Pleasington professional, who also failed to qualify for the last round of the City of Leeds Cup two weeks ago and is enduring a difficult first season on the European Tour, suffered a disastrous end to his second round. He dropped five shots on the last four holes, finishing with a double bogey seven at the 18th as he posted a 79 to add to his opening 71.

Chorley-born Anthony Franklin, an assistant at Chester club Eaton, kept the local hopes alive with a 74 which tacked to his first round 71 left him five shots off the pace.

Meanwhile, Darren Leng was one of the few players to cope with the prevailing wind which sent scores soaring with more than half the field carding 80 or worse.

His 68, tacked to his opening 72, Leng goes into today's final round one shot in the lead. Burnley-based Paul Carman was just two shots off that pace.

David Shacklady, who teaches at Yarrow Valley in Chorley and who played in last week's Open Championship, also got through with Skipton's Ben Mallinson.

But on the way home were Blackburn Driving Range's Jeff Mathews, who shot 81, and Stonyhurst Park's Ian Taylor, who returned 80.

Pleasington's Natalee Evans won the Northern Intermediate Championship at City of Newcastle by one shot after shooting a 76 and 77 in difficult conditions.

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