European Tour's Nordea Masters in Sweden
Fitzpatrick goes clear but Henry still in mix
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Matthew Fitzpatrick fired the low round of the week so far to move into the midway lead at the Nordea Masters at Bro Hof Slott Golf Club, Sweden.
The Englishman has enjoyed a consistent season so far but has secured just one top ten, at the Masters Tournament in April ,as he looks to follow up his stunning rookie campaign in 2015.
That brought a win and nine further top tens but victory at the British Masters supported by Sky Sports and seven of those finishes came in the second half of the season, and Fitzpatrick is now hoping to kick-on again.
His blemish-free effort on Friday got him to 11 under and handed him a three-shot lead over local favourite Alexander Björk, Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts, fellow Englishmen Ross Fisher and Andrew Johnston and Scotland's Scott Henry.
"Any time you shoot seven birdies it's always a good day, and when you manage to keep the bogeys off the card at the same time, it's an even better day," he said.
"I hit one or two poor shots but you're always going to do that. I putted really well today, I holed virtually everything so it was just one of those days.
"Any time you go into the weekend high on the leaderboard, you're going to get excited."
Fitzpatrick started a shot behind the overnight leaders but moved ahead thanks to gains on the tenth, 12th, 15th 18th and first.
A brilliant tee-shot to eight feet on the fourth led to another birdie and when the 21 year old spun his ball from the back of the green to within tap-in distance for another gain on the seventh, he was in control.
Big-hitting Colsaerts sandwiched an eagle on the first with birdies on the 12th, 15th, third and fifth as he flew up the leaderboard. A bounce-back birdie on the ninth then followed a bogey on the eighth as he signed for a 66.
Johnston had started the day in a share of the lead after an opening 67 but a triple-bogey on the tenth moved him back to square one for the day after turning in 33.
A big finish was to come, though, with three birdies in his last four holes moving the in-form 27 year old into a share of second alongside Fisher, who had an eagle and three birdies in his 68.
Thunderstorms in the area led to 58 minutes being lost late in the day but that did not affect Henry, who was in the penultimate group out from the tenth but finished with a birdie to add to six further gains, two bogeys and a double.
It was past 8.30pm local time when Björk walked off but he could be very happy with his work in just his second European Tour event, recording five birdies to a single bogey.
French rookie Thomas Linard was then at seven under, a shot clear of two-time champion Mikko Ilonen, German Florian Fritsch, South Africa's Jean Hugo and English debutant Matt Wallace.
SECOND-ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
133 M Fitzpatrick (Eng) 68 65
136 N Colsaerts (Bel) 70 66, R Fisher (Eng) 68 68, A Johnston (Eng) 67 69, S Henry (Sco) 67 69, A Bjork (swe) 68 68
REST OF SCOTS' SCORES
140 M Warren 69 73 (T19)
142 P Lawrie 73 69 (T35)
SCOTS WHO MISSED THE CUT
144 and better qualified for final two rounds
145 S Jamieson 71 74
146 C Lee 71 75
148 A McArthur 73 75
149 S Gallagher 73 76
153 J McLeary 74 79
154 G Murray 80 74
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES AND SCORECARDS
CLICK HERE
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Matthew Fitzpatrick fired the low round of the week so far to move into the midway lead at the Nordea Masters at Bro Hof Slott Golf Club, Sweden.
The Englishman has enjoyed a consistent season so far but has secured just one top ten, at the Masters Tournament in April ,as he looks to follow up his stunning rookie campaign in 2015.
That brought a win and nine further top tens but victory at the British Masters supported by Sky Sports and seven of those finishes came in the second half of the season, and Fitzpatrick is now hoping to kick-on again.
His blemish-free effort on Friday got him to 11 under and handed him a three-shot lead over local favourite Alexander Björk, Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts, fellow Englishmen Ross Fisher and Andrew Johnston and Scotland's Scott Henry.
"Any time you shoot seven birdies it's always a good day, and when you manage to keep the bogeys off the card at the same time, it's an even better day," he said.
"I hit one or two poor shots but you're always going to do that. I putted really well today, I holed virtually everything so it was just one of those days.
"Any time you go into the weekend high on the leaderboard, you're going to get excited."
Fitzpatrick started a shot behind the overnight leaders but moved ahead thanks to gains on the tenth, 12th, 15th 18th and first.
A brilliant tee-shot to eight feet on the fourth led to another birdie and when the 21 year old spun his ball from the back of the green to within tap-in distance for another gain on the seventh, he was in control.
Big-hitting Colsaerts sandwiched an eagle on the first with birdies on the 12th, 15th, third and fifth as he flew up the leaderboard. A bounce-back birdie on the ninth then followed a bogey on the eighth as he signed for a 66.
Johnston had started the day in a share of the lead after an opening 67 but a triple-bogey on the tenth moved him back to square one for the day after turning in 33.
A big finish was to come, though, with three birdies in his last four holes moving the in-form 27 year old into a share of second alongside Fisher, who had an eagle and three birdies in his 68.
Thunderstorms in the area led to 58 minutes being lost late in the day but that did not affect Henry, who was in the penultimate group out from the tenth but finished with a birdie to add to six further gains, two bogeys and a double.
It was past 8.30pm local time when Björk walked off but he could be very happy with his work in just his second European Tour event, recording five birdies to a single bogey.
French rookie Thomas Linard was then at seven under, a shot clear of two-time champion Mikko Ilonen, German Florian Fritsch, South Africa's Jean Hugo and English debutant Matt Wallace.
SECOND-ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
133 M Fitzpatrick (Eng) 68 65
136 N Colsaerts (Bel) 70 66, R Fisher (Eng) 68 68, A Johnston (Eng) 67 69, S Henry (Sco) 67 69, A Bjork (swe) 68 68
REST OF SCOTS' SCORES
140 M Warren 69 73 (T19)
142 P Lawrie 73 69 (T35)
SCOTS WHO MISSED THE CUT
144 and better qualified for final two rounds
145 S Jamieson 71 74
146 C Lee 71 75
148 A McArthur 73 75
149 S Gallagher 73 76
153 J McLeary 74 79
154 G Murray 80 74
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES AND SCORECARDS
CLICK HERE
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Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Friday, June 03, 2016
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