Birdies galore on the second day of the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, where the course record fell and a German led the way. Here's what you might have missed.
Pep's putting practice
One-armed bandit 💪#NBOGrandFinal co-leader @pepangles making it look easy on the putting green - he tees off in an hour pic.twitter.com/acKRaDa1zB
— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) November 3, 2016
Three players shared the first round lead on six under par. James Heath, needing a good week to climb into the top 16 from his current 18th place, Matthieu Pavon and Pep Angles were all in the last group out as co-leaders, and it was Pep's one-handed putting practice that caught the eye.
Germans galore
Heisele hits the top
— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) November 3, 2016
A fourth birdie of the day for @SHeisele takes him to 6 under and into a share of the #NBOGrandFinal lead pic.twitter.com/W5b4zJgsKI
Ultimately round two would end with a German on top of the leaderboard, but for much of the day it was Alex Knappe and Sebastian Heisele who looked to be the likely lads.
Knappe is already assure of a European Tour card but Heisele needs to finish in the top two, and birdies like this one have kept him in the hunt. His six under round of 66 leaves him five shots back in a tie for sixth at the halfway point.
Swedest thing
Jens Dantorp and Oman is almost as good a match as the Swede and his girlfriend, on his bag again this week after they teamed up for a top ten finish here 12 months ago.
Dantorp is 41st in the Rankings, so nothing less than a win will do this week for a top 16 spot and a European Tour card, but a fine 65 puts him in range, 11 under par overall and just two shots back.
Seventh heaven for Jens
— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) November 3, 2016
This birdie on 4 takes @DantorpJens to 7 under, one behind playing partner Bernd Ritthammer's #NBOGrandFinal lead pic.twitter.com/1Ws2yfGJ0l
Bjӧrk's broken record
👏👏👏👏👏👏
— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) November 3, 2016
Alex Bjork, take a bow!#NBOGrandFinal pic.twitter.com/wDjC30ZYEb
The round of the day - in fact, the round of any day at Al Mouj Golf - went to Alexander Bjӧrk, Dantorp's compatriot, who played flawless golf throughout, making nine birdies for a 63. He is already certain of a European Tour card next year, but with the pressure off, and a Challenge Tour win to his name, he is playing his best golf this week and sits second on 12 under par.
Hammer time
READ: Hammer smashes course for #NBOGrandFinal lead.https://t.co/ENd5fLEeU2 pic.twitter.com/0ynJ84ovbp
— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) November 3, 2016
Another man with the pressure off is Bernd Ritthammer, who couldn't quite match Bjӧrk's round but signed for an excellent 64 and a one-shot halfway lead on 13 under par.
The German has won twice on the Challenge Tour this season, and though he can't top the Rankings, a third win would take him into a higher category, so there's all to play for over the coming days.
What it all means
A leaderboard.
End of Day 2
— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) November 3, 2016
And quite a leaderboard we have at the #NBOGrandFinal - we're only halfway there, but heroes will be made pic.twitter.com/nlJlUoBQh2
And, perhaps more importantly, a Rankings prediction. Still so long to go, but James Heath is the big mover so far, taking a top 16 spot at the expense of Joel Stalter.
Projected Rankings update 📈
— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) November 3, 2016
So much can change, but so much is set to after just two rounds of the #NBOGrandFinal pic.twitter.com/EZf66ee3sj