Former champion Brandon Stone kept plugging away on Friday in the second round of the European Tour’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club as he carded a one-under-par 71 to find himself at three-under and eight off the lead.

Australia’s Lucas Herbert fired a six-under 65 to grab the halfway lead, one clear of Robert Rock who signed for one of the only bogey-free rounds of the day with his 67. Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter were a further shot back on nine-under for the tournament.

The best round from a South African on the day came from Garrick Higgo, who made five birdies and just a single bogey on his way to 67. That, together with his opening 72, put him on three-under for the tournament, together with Stone.

Erik van Rooyen’s and George Coetzee’s two-under 69 saw them move to nine off the pace.

Justin Harding also shot a 69, but he missed the cut by one stroke after his opening 73, while Dean Burmester added a second-consecutive 71 to his tally and also miss the weekend by one. Thomas Aiken’s 70 put him in the same boat.

Shaun Norris, Haydn Porteous and Justin Walters also missed the cut, while Christiaan Bezuidenhout, so solid in the opening round, made three bogeys and two doubles on his way to a 78 and an early exit.