Peter Whiteford, the rookie Scot languishing at No.152 on the European Tour's order of merit and badly needing a good tournament to preserve his playing rights, moved in to contention for the Johnnie Walker Championship yesterday with a five-under-par 68 for a five-under-aggregate of 141, two behind leader Gregory Havret.

"It's a huge weekend ahead," said Whiteford, who earned his tour card by winning twice last season on the Challenge Tour. "The money on the Challenge Tour is not great. I had four years there and I don't want to go back. Financially it's a wrecker."

The 28-year-old from Kirkcaldy had a great run from the 16th, his seventh, where he pitched in from 30 yards for an eagle three and followed that with two birdies.

Gary Orr, meanwhile, was a shot behind Whiteford after a 72 and the 41-year-old, originally from Helensburgh, also holed from off the green. That was for a birdie three at the seventh in an up-and-down round that featured two three-putts but also two 20-foot. He had a disappointing finish at the par-five 18th. After a good drive he tried to go for the green for a rousing finish.

"I could reach if I nutted it with a three-wood, but I tried to hit it too hard, caught it fat and it squirted into a bunker." The result was a bogey six.

"I'm still in a pretty good position but I need to play better and eliminate a few careless shots," he admitted.

Havret, who overcame a shank with his second shot of the day, had a 71 yesterday and leads by one from England's Robert Rock who was a joint leader at halfway in Holland last week and then crashed to a Saturday 80 while Whiteford shared third spot with Welshman Bradley Dredge.

"I shanked that shot very badly but I made a very nice five. It was a funny day," said the Frenchman who is making his first appearance after a five-week break following his 19th place finish in the Open at Royal Birkdale.

A total of eight Scots made the cut, among them Steven McEwan, the 20-year-old amateur from Kilmarnock, who survived right on the mark after a three-under-par 70.

Out in four-under 32, he dropped a shot at the 15th after his group was put on the clock and then lost a ball with a hooked second at the par-five 16th. McEwan salvaged a bogey six and a birdie at the last secured his place for the weekend.

"I've been practising alongside Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie. It's great. It makes me want to strive to do this every week," he said.