Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters - Day two digest

Everything you need to know from the second round at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.

Otaegui, Ko and De Jager hit the front, while Meronk and Bjørn made magic happen on day two of the 2023 Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.

Here is everything you need to know from the second round at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.

Defending champion shares the lead

Last year's winner Adrian Otaegui continued his love affair with Andalucia as he posted two successive bogey-free rounds to sit in a three-way tie for the lead on nine under par alongside Jeong weon Ko and Louis de Jager. After producing a 66 on Thursday, the Spaniard opened his second round with a tap-in birdie at the first before carding 14 consecutive pars. He broke that run with back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th to join the lead before saving par on the last to keep his card clean.

Busy day for Ko

Jeong weon Ko was thrilled after overcoming "brutal conditions" to post a bogey-free first round of 67 before keeping his foot on the gas on Friday to share the lead. Starting his opening round on Thursday afternoon, the Frenchman had to endure the worst of the conditions as Real Club de Golf Sotogrande was battered by strong winds and some rain. Ko made four birdies and no bogeys in his first 15 holes before play was suspended due to fading light, and added another birdie to his tally on Friday morning to head into the second round on five under par. The 25-year-old soon returned to the course to start round two and carded five more birdies and one bogey in a 68.

Bjørn makes the cut after late fireworks

Thomas Bjørn thought Friday's second round represented the end of an era as he made his way down the back nine but he produced a closing birdie hat-trick to make it through to the weekend. Having played a full schedule throughout his long and storied DP World Tour career, the 52-year-old's current exemption ends this season and this is set to be his last event on the exemption. Wanting to go out with a bang, Bjørn holed a series of enormous putts at the 16th, 17th and 18th to sign for a second-round 67 and make the cut mark on one under par. Bjørn said: "I’m running out of exemption at the end of the year and this was going to be my last event on the exemption. I'm still going to play some events here and there but this was going to be my last event on the exemption. The only thing I was thinking about those last few holes was 28 seasons with a card out here and it was coming to an end. I had to give it a go and see if I could put a nice round together for that."

Meronk's miraculous eagle

Adrian Meronk looked understandably nervous when his second shot at the long sixth went way off line. But he got an enormously lucky break as his ball clattered a tree and landed on the green. And he made the most of his good fortune, slotting in the putt from 32 feet for an extraordinary eagle.

Clark superb from the sand

Major Champion and Ryder Cup star Wyndham Clark missed the green at the third hole on Friday, instead finding a greenside bunker with his approach. But he produced this bit of bunker brilliance to walk away with a birdie three.