Matteo Manassero remains on track for back-to-back Tour victories in moving two shots clear of the field on day two of the Nordea Masters in Sweden.
The 20-year old Italian, who captured last week’s BMW PGA Championship, added a seven under par 67 to his opening 66 for a 13-under par tally on the Bro Hof Slott course in Stockholm.
Matteo Manassero remains on track for a second straight Race to Dubai success. (Photo – www.europeantour.com)
Manassero capped his round with four birdies in succession from the 11th hole.
“It was nice after my good start to come back today and shoot another great score,” he said.
“I am glad the way the day has gone as I played solid. Over the last five or six holes I didn’t feel as good as I did at the beginning but I was scoring well which is a good sign.”
In second place at 11-under par is Finland’s Mikko Ilonen who birdied his last three holes in a score of a nine under par 63 to match a new course record set just hours before by Scotland’s Peter Whiteford, who is in third place on 10-under par.
It is the third time Ilonen has shot 63 in his career while Whiteford’s effort is the 32-year olds lowest-ever score in five full season’s competing on the European Tour and one shot lower than Lee Westwood’s 64 set on route to victory in the event last year.
“It was brilliant and a great round of golf, and it’s put me in good position though it’s still a long way to go,” said Whiteford.
“The scoring looks like it will be low over the weekend but it’s just great to be in contention again.
“I hit the ball lovely today and putted a lot better but the conditions were just ideal for scoring.”
Whiteford went close to a maiden Tour win a month ago when beaten in a play-off for the Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea.
The former three-time secondary Challenge Tour winner is also looking to making amends from being disqualified from last year’s Avantha Masters in India.
Whiteford had been in a share of the lead after just four holes on the final day but was then advised he was disqualified over incident that occurred at the final hole a day prior when, unbeknown to the Scot, he ball moved at address.
It was only after TV viewers phoned organisers that the incident came to hand.
Sweden’s Peter Hanson, and the highest ranked player in the field at No. 23 in the world, had moved to eight under par after 16 holes but then double bogeyed the island green par three, 17th in successive score of 69 for a six under par total.
England’s Paul Casey fought back from an opening 74 to birdie four of his closing 12 holes in a round of 68 to make the halfway cut right on the two-under par mark.
On Monday the triple Ryder Cup star had opened with a 74 at a US Open qualifier in Surrey back came out in the afternoon to shoot a 64 and seal a place in the June 13th commencing Major a Merion.
But missing the cut was Scotland’s Marc Warren (143) who had been involved in last Sunday’s Wentworth play-off and former British Open champion, Darren Clarke (145).
