SIMON Dyson’s hunt for Russian golf gold was blighted in a brace of holes.

The York star, who had tamed the Tseleevo Golf and Polo Club course just outside Moscow to share the lead on the first day with a five-under-par 67, saw his challenge for a seventh European Tour triumph teeter.

He started his second round on the tenth hole and a bogey on the 12th was quickly forgotten by consecutive birdies on the 14th and 15th holes.

But then Dyson underwent a severe blow to his chances.

A bogey on the 17th was followed by a double-bogey seven on the par-five 18th – a three-shot turnaround that put him one over for the day at the turn.

Dyson countered with a birdie on his opening inward nine hole, the first, but another dropped shot on the par-three sixth knocked him down the leader-board after a second-day 74 and a three-under-par two-round total.

However, that still put the world number 164 well in contention for rekindling a challenge today and tomorrow when any return to the form of his first round would ensure Dyson maintained his recent return to the groove that just over a year ago established him in the world’s leading 30 players.

The clubhouse lead at the mid-point of the one million euros-valued tournament – new to the European Tour – was held by England’s Matthew Baldwin and Wen-chong Liang of China, one of Dyson’s playing partners over the first two rounds.

Both were seven-under at the half-way stage, one shot clear of the rest of the field.