A perfect Swedish summer afternoon allowed England’s Luke Donald to produce a sizzling course record seven under par 65 at the Barsebäck Golf & Country Club, Malmö, Sweden, and take a one shot lead from Sweden’s own Wilhelm Schauman at the halfway stage of the Scandinavian Masters by Carlsberg.
Schauman carded a six under par 66 to lie just one stroke behind Donald on nine under par 133, with Sweden’s Christopher Hanell – the 2004 Madeira Island Open Champion – and Irishman Paul McGinley two shots further back on seven under 135.
Donald was among the early starters during round two, and set the clubhouse target of ten under par 132 with a brilliant, bogey free second round 65 that set a new course record for the Barsebäck Golf & Country Club, formerly held by Sweden’s Carl Pettersson.
Only Schauman was able to get within one shot of the Englishman – the Swede putting together his own impressive score of 66 to supplement his opening 68 and take him into the weekend in a tie for first position.
Schauman, who started his round from the tenth tee, certainly had an eventful day on the 7365 yard, par 72 Barsebäck Golf & Country Club venue where he embarked on a six hole run from the 12th to the 17th that included an eagle, three birdies and two bogeys.
He played the front nine more conventionally – picking up birdies on the fourth and fifth and keeping any dropped shots off the card, a feat that allowed him to get within touching distance of the leader.
But the best round of the day undoubtedly went to that leader, Donald, whose seven birdies and 11 pars ensured a new course record and took him to the top of the leaderboard.
“I played very similarly to the way that I did yesterday, I just got more of the putts to roll in for me today,” said Donald after his exceptional 65.
“I am hitting the ball as well as I have been all year at the moment – golf seems an easy game when you are hitting fairways, hitting greens and making putts and I got on a bit of a roll out there today.
“I think this course suits my game and the weather and conditions were just perfect today and I though that it would be possible to reach double figures today given those conditions. I knew that six or seven under for the day was do-able and I’m glad that I managed to prove that.
“I would love to win here – any win is great, and I don’t think that it would do my Ryder Cup chances any harm.”
One shot behind Hanell and McGinley are the Swedish trio of Johan Edfors, Peter Hanson and Henrik Stenson – as well as Englishman David Howell. Edfors and Hanson respectively graduated the European Challenge Tour in first and fifth position last season and posted scores of 71 and 66, while Stenson and Howell carded 70 and 71 to get to six under par 136. Hanson’s 66 included a wonderful hole in one at the 185 yard par three 15th.
