Wales’ Jamie Donaldson fired a second straight 69 to open up a two-stroke lead at the Nordea Masters through 36 holes. Donaldson is 8-under par, two strokes ahead of Italy’s Renato Paratore, who followed up his Thursday 68 with a 1-under 72 on Friday.
Day One co-leader Max Orrin fell back to a three-way tie for third after an even-par 73 on Friday. The rounds of the day were recorded by England’s Graeme Storm and Chris Wood, and South Africa’s Richard Sterne; all three of whom fired 5-under 68s.
Donaldson just missed a second straight bogey-free day, notching five birdies and bogey 4 on No. 15. Storm and Orrin are tied for third at 5-under with France’s Benjamin Hebert, who has fired 70-71 over the first two rounds.
Storm was night and day on the front nine from his Thursday performance. Yesterday he bogeyed four out of five holes between 3 and 7 to shoot a 38 on the front nine. Friday, he had five birdies and a single bogey to log a 32.
Defending champion Matthew Fitzpatrick shot a 3-under 70 to rise to five strokes off the lead, tied for ninth at 3-under. The highest ranking Swede at the turn are Sebastian Soderberg and Joakim Lagergren, who are tied for 17th at 2-under.
World No. 5 Henrik Stenson is tied for 25th at 1-under after shooting a 72. The cut was set at 1 over, leaving the likes of Pablo Larrazabal and Paul Dunne on the outside looking in.
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