An excellent two under par 68 from Peter Fowler handed the Australian a share of the lead with American Gene Sauers as the second round continued at The Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex.
Fowler, the 2011 Senior Tour Order of Merit winner, carded three birdies in a flawless front nine 31 en route to his three under par halfway total – a score matched by overnight leader Sauers, who did well to bounce back from two bogeys in his opening three holes to finish level for the day.
Starting in the afternoon session, South Africa’s David Frost joined the fray at the top in Southport with an early birdie at the par four second while American Jeff Hart signed for a second 69 in succession to stay within one of the lead as the day progressed.
Germany’s Bernhard Langer, starting at two under par following a first round 68, was out on the course after teeing off at 1400.
Playing on the course where compatriot Ian Baker-Finch triumphed so memorably in 1991, as Mike Harwood finished second, Fowler started superbly on Friday hitting eight greens in a bogey-free first nine.
Regulation birdies at the second and ninth holes were outdone by a birdie from the bunker at the eighth, while the 54 year old Sydney native mixed two bogeys with a further gain at the 16th before holing a solid ten-footer to save par at the last.
“You're going to have to get up and down and hole some good putts for pars on a few holes around this golf course, and we prepared for that, and it was a nice way to finish,” reflected Fowler, who has finished tied sixth and tied seventh in his last two appearances at The Senior Open.
On playing in hospitable sunshine on the north west coast of England, Fowler added: “You can control the ball better. When it's blowing hard, when you get some rain, it's harder to do that. So you've got to make the most of good weather conditions.
“I played here in (The Open in) 2008 and it was just diabolical in the wind and the rain, at 6.30 in the morning so we know we have to make the most of this.”
Sauers, meanwhile, had a nightmare start as a bogey at the first was followed by another at the third when the 50 year old Georgia man three-putted. The three-time PGA Tour winner bounced back immediately with a birdie at the following hole to steady the ship while a second gain of the day at the 16th helped him retain a share of the lead as the afternoon groups picked up pace.
“The last two (regular Opens) I played at Troon and St Andrews, I was grouped with some veterans, Larry Mize and Scott Simpson, and those guys taught me the bump and run shots,” said Sauers. “You have to land it short of the green and let it run up and all that.
“My caddie and I worked on that this week. It’s not as firm as it has been so that almost makes it more tricky, you don't how far to carry your ball, and I think the rain last night softened things up. But you just have to keep going.”
Rocco Mediate matched the low-round of the day with a 68 of his own to get within one of the lead, a round score matched by Englishman Barry Lane, who found six birdies to get back level par for the week.
There were mixed fortunes for the marquee group of Colin Montgomerie, Fred Couples and Mark O’Meara, meanwhile, as the Scot did well to finish only one over par for the day – three over for the tournament – following a bogey-double bogey run from the second, while Couples and O’Meara shot 72 and 68 on Friday to finish six over and two over par respectively as the Championship reaches its halfway point.
