Scot Drysdale T8 at halfway but Great Dane
Olesen leads by six in Turkish Open
EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Great Dane Thorbjørn Olesen will take a commanding six-shot lead into the weekend at the Turkish Airlines Open after setting a new course record at Regnum Carya Golf and Spa Resort, Antalya.
Adrian Otaegui had earlier broken the record with a 63 before Olesen went one better to get to 15 under 127 over the par-71 course and sit in a comfortable position at the top of the leaderboard.
The Dane has not been in the best form of late, making just four of his last 13 cuts, but his game was in top condition on Friday as he gave a putting masterclass in making an eagle and eight birdies.
That left him six shots ahead of Spaniard Otaegui and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee.
Olesen already has three European Tour wins to his name and a victory this week would make it three seasons in a row that he has taken home a trophy on Sunday afternoon.
"I feel like I've been up in contention in a lot of big events," he said. "I feel pretty comfortable. There's still 36 holes to go, so that's a lot of golf to be played, but I have to keep being aggressive out there. That's the only way I can win.
"A lot of things can happen on this course. You have quite a lot of water on it and you can get in some trouble.
"There's a lot of birdie and eagle chances out there so anything can happen. I have to keep being aggressive out there, keep going after some of the pins and still be aggressive on the greens as well."
He began the day one shot off the lead but hit the front with birdies on the second and sixth although he was soon joined by Otaegui who holed a lengthy putt on the fifth after starting on the 11th.
Back-to-back birdies on the eighth - courtesy of a 30-foot putt - and ninth moved Olesen ahead and while he three-putted the 11th for a bogey, he picked up six shots in as many holes from the 13th.
A brilliant approach brought a birdie and another followed on the next after an excellent tee-shot into the par three 14th. A 35-foot putt then produced an eagle on the par five 15th and a stunning approach that he had to bend round a post on the 17th helped move him five clear.
Yet another excellent iron shot then left an eight-foot putt for birdie on the last and Olesen made it to put himself in total control.
Otaegui was six shots off the lead at the start of the day but began his round with five birdies and when he made another on the 18th, he was quickly into a share of the pole position.
That birdie on the fifth was then followed by another on the eighth as the 23 year old put himself in position to challenge for a first European Tour title.
Jaidee has eight European Tour wins to his name and the 46 year old put in a typically consistent performance in his 66, carding six birdies and a bogey.
England's David Horsey, Swede Joakim Lagergren, China's Li Haotong and Italian Matteo Manassero were then all at eight under, a shot ahead of Spaniard Jorge Campillo and Scot David Drysdale.
Another Spaniard, Pablo Larrazábal, American David Lipsky and Austria's Bernd Wiesberger then completed the top ten at six under.
HALFWAY LEADERBOARD
Olesen leads by six in Turkish Open
EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Great Dane Thorbjørn Olesen will take a commanding six-shot lead into the weekend at the Turkish Airlines Open after setting a new course record at Regnum Carya Golf and Spa Resort, Antalya.
Adrian Otaegui had earlier broken the record with a 63 before Olesen went one better to get to 15 under 127 over the par-71 course and sit in a comfortable position at the top of the leaderboard.
The Dane has not been in the best form of late, making just four of his last 13 cuts, but his game was in top condition on Friday as he gave a putting masterclass in making an eagle and eight birdies.
That left him six shots ahead of Spaniard Otaegui and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee.
Olesen already has three European Tour wins to his name and a victory this week would make it three seasons in a row that he has taken home a trophy on Sunday afternoon.
"I feel like I've been up in contention in a lot of big events," he said. "I feel pretty comfortable. There's still 36 holes to go, so that's a lot of golf to be played, but I have to keep being aggressive out there. That's the only way I can win.
"A lot of things can happen on this course. You have quite a lot of water on it and you can get in some trouble.
"There's a lot of birdie and eagle chances out there so anything can happen. I have to keep being aggressive out there, keep going after some of the pins and still be aggressive on the greens as well."
He began the day one shot off the lead but hit the front with birdies on the second and sixth although he was soon joined by Otaegui who holed a lengthy putt on the fifth after starting on the 11th.
Back-to-back birdies on the eighth - courtesy of a 30-foot putt - and ninth moved Olesen ahead and while he three-putted the 11th for a bogey, he picked up six shots in as many holes from the 13th.
A brilliant approach brought a birdie and another followed on the next after an excellent tee-shot into the par three 14th. A 35-foot putt then produced an eagle on the par five 15th and a stunning approach that he had to bend round a post on the 17th helped move him five clear.
Yet another excellent iron shot then left an eight-foot putt for birdie on the last and Olesen made it to put himself in total control.
Otaegui was six shots off the lead at the start of the day but began his round with five birdies and when he made another on the 18th, he was quickly into a share of the pole position.
That birdie on the fifth was then followed by another on the eighth as the 23 year old put himself in position to challenge for a first European Tour title.
Jaidee has eight European Tour wins to his name and the 46 year old put in a typically consistent performance in his 66, carding six birdies and a bogey.
England's David Horsey, Swede Joakim Lagergren, China's Li Haotong and Italian Matteo Manassero were then all at eight under, a shot ahead of Spaniard Jorge Campillo and Scot David Drysdale.
Another Spaniard, Pablo Larrazábal, American David Lipsky and Austria's Bernd Wiesberger then completed the top ten at six under.
HALFWAY LEADERBOARD
Par 142 (2x71)
127 Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) 65 62
133 Adrian Otaegui (Spain) 70 63, Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand) 67 66.
SCOTS' SCORES
135 David Drysdale 67 68 (T8)
139 Richie Ramsay 71 68, Paul Lawrie 69 70 (T27)
143 Marc Warren 68 75 (T58).
OTHER SCORES
140 Lee Westwood (England) 70 70.
140 Andrew Johnston (England) 71 69.
141 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 72 69.
143 Danny Willett (England) 69 74
OTHER SCORES
140 Lee Westwood (England) 70 70.
140 Andrew Johnston (England) 71 69.
141 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 72 69.
143 Danny Willett (England) 69 74
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Friday, November 04, 2016
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