Victor Dubuisson and Alvaro Quiros shared the clubhouse lead midway through the second round of the Nordea Masters after a testing morning at PGA Sweden National.
Spaniard Quiros shot a 67 – two shots better than anyone else in the field – to reach six under par, with France’s Dubuisson joining him courtesy of a second consecutive 69.
That was the same mark Jens Dantorp and Eddie Pepperell had set overnight, with both amongst the later starters in Malmö.
Big-hitting Quiros had eagled the 11th and birdied the 15th and 18th to turn in 32, then hit his second shot to within five feet of the par five first for another eagle that took him to seven under.
His sole bogey of the day came at the fourth, and cost him the outright lead as Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher reached seven under with two birdies in his first three holes.
“I’ve been hitting the ball very well from tee to green, but even with the scores I’ve had I have not putted great,” revealed Quiros.
“I had one putt from eight metres for eagle on 11, but apart from that I’ve had a lot of putts from around five or six metres and not holed any. So even though I’m happy I could have putted better.
“This course is playing a few holes long, and even the short ones are feeling easy. My length helps but the important thing is to control it. The distance control is hard in this wind though. At least it was warmer today than yesterday.”
World Number 25 Dubuisson turned in a one under 35, and the Frenchman then birdied the first and struck his approach to five feet at the second for consecutive birdies before paring his way in.
“It’s a great score,” said the Turkish Airlines Open winner. “I played good today. It was more difficult than yesterday because the wind was in a different direction and it made some of the par fives difficult to make birdie on. My short game was good and that was important.”
Dantorp, Pepperell and Rikard Karlberg, who was one under through six holes, were also six under, with Bradley Dredge and Thongchai Jaidee shooting matching 70s to be in the clubhouse on five under.
World Number Two Henrik Stenson birdied the first to be four under for the week two holes into his round, while defending champion Mikko Ilonen was three under following a 71.
Gallacher dropped both shots before the turn, and came home in a level par for a 72 and five under total.
Stenson and Jaidee were in the clubhouse on the same mark, with Pepperell and Dantorp on the same score coming down the closing stretch.
