Marcel Schneider will have to hold off the challenge of four-time European Tour winner Marcel Siem as he heads into the weekend of the Kaskáda Golf Challenge with a one stroke lead.
The German posted a second successive six under par round of 65 to lead on 12 under par, one clear of countryman Siem, who carded a seven under par round of 64 on day two to reach 11 under par at Kaskáda Golf Resort.
The duo will be joined in the final group on Saturday by Norway’s Kristian Krogh Johannessen, who is tied for third place with 20-year-old German Freddy Schott on nine under par.
Schneider held a share of the lead at the end of round one, which was completed on Friday morning after Thursday’s weather delay, and he mirrored his opening effort on day two with seven birdies and a single bogey to maintain his advantage heading into the weekend.
“It was similar to yesterday, the long game was there today as well,” he said. “Like yesterday, I felt confident on the course and the putting was good. It was almost the same round.
“I just tried to do my stuff. I tried to bring what I’m working on with my swing to the course and it worked out quite well. I didn’t think about being up on the leaderboard or anything like that.
“With shooting this number twice, I think I’ve got a good chance of the W. I’ll enjoy playing with Marcel, we’ll have a good time out there tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it.”
Siem, who won the first of his four European Tour titles in 2004, highlighted his ability to remain calm as a contributing factor to his lowest round of the season so far.
“It was really good,” he said. “My tee shots are really precise this week, which I think helps on this golf course. It’s important to put yourself in a good position.
“I had a few hiccups on the front nine, missed a short putt and managed to not lose the head, finally. I got the momentum back, kept playing good golf and made birdies.
“I’ve missed a lot of cuts lately by a shot and stuff and with the windy conditions you never know, you can make a triple somewhere if you look at my scorecards.
“I can’t even remember the last time I shot seven under in a tournament. I’ve got Paul on my bag now, he’s my coach, I’ve done MMA training with him for a year now and he’s super calm. These guys, they go in the ring, they have to focus and they have to believe in themselves. He has no clue about golf, nothing. Alex, JC’s caddie, he helped him out a lot.
“I’ve won four times already, so you never know, maybe it clicks and it comes back. I’m looking for the confidence and the positive thoughts how I won the tournaments. It would mean the world to me to get a win under my belt again. The Open are in the mix as well, so let’s see.”
Seven players share fifth place on seven under par, including American Paul Peterson and home favourite Stanislav Matus. The cut fell at two under par, with 61 players surviving to compete over the final two rounds.
The third round of the Kaskáda Golf Challenge will begin at 9:03am local time, with Schneider, Siem and Johannessen playing in the final group at 10:53am.
