Conditions on the Parador de El Saler course continued to prove challenging for some of Europe’s finest in the second round of the Open de España.
Trickier pin placements and wind combined to ensure scoring was difficult on day two on the part links, part parkland course.
Yet Marc Warren was able to find similar consistency to yesterday by striking a second successive 70 to share the clubhouse lead with Denmark’s Morten Ørum Madsen and England’s Eddie Pepperell.
Warren picked up where he left off yesterday in completing an outward 34; birdies at the third, fifth and ninth were offset by a bogey at four.
The back proved up and down for the 32 year old, a two time winner on The European Tour. He picked up further shots on 13 and 16, but dropped ones at 14 and 18.
The latter was particularly frustrating as he failed to follow up the perfect tee shot and subsequently slipped to four under par.
By the time Warren's round was finished, one of the joint overnight leaders - Madsen - was a shot better off having overcome a rocky start.
Bogeys at two and three suggested the Dane would fall away today but he responded exceptionally, with back to back birdies following a par on the next.
He was considerably more consistent thereafter, interrupting a run of pars with a gain at 13.
Yet, much like Warren, a disappointing finish undermined his good work, for a bogey on 17 meant he, too, had to settle for being four under.
Pepperall, who has just one win on The Challenge Tour, followed Warren’s lead with his second 70, carding four birdies and two dropped shots.
Of the later starters, Sweden’s Rikard Karlberg was making the biggest impression having began with birdies either side of an eagle on the second to joint the leaders.
