Singh, Lorenzo-Vera lead European Open
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2009 European Open | Round Two | 30 May 2009
Frenchman Michael Lorenzo-Vera and Indian Jeev Milkha Singh lead at the halfway point of the European Open at the London Golf Club in Ash in Kent, their 36 hole total of 8 under leaving them one ahead of Christian Cevaer and Anthony Wall.
Singh’s second round of 69 was one of the better rounds on day two, the 37-year-old playing in the more demanding afternoon conditions and despite two bogeys in his last three holes he had done enough in the early stages of his round to set up his share of the lead.
Singh has played much of his golf this season in the US and has, in the main, struggled against the generally stronger fields. The winner of four tournaments worldwide in the past twelve months, Singh finished 10th in this event last year and despite a run of indifferent recent form has the chance to add another European title to the three he already has to his credit.
Lorenzo-Vera’s form in 2009 has been a rollercoaster ride. He has missed seven cuts in eleven starts, and despite missing the cut at last week’s BMW PGA there has been better signs of late. The 24-year-old was brilliant when leading the Challenge Tour in 2007 but was plagued by injury in his rookie European Tour season in 2008. He appears to be getting back to somewhere near his best.
The best of the Australians is Marcus Fraser, who added a second round of 70 to be at 5 under and within three of the lead. Fraser is continuing a very solid run of consistent form of late. While he has seldom contended for victory he has made the cut in all but one of his last seventeen events, one of those came when he was beaten in a playoff by Rod Pampling at the Australian Masters.
Brett Rumford was the only other Australian to make the cut improving with a second round of 70 to sneak inside the cutline at 1 over.
