Marcel Siem holds a one-stroke advantage at the halfway stage of the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo.
The German added a three under 69 to his opening 66 to reach nine under par, one clear of 2022 U.S. Open Champion Matt Fitzpatrick whose three under par effort of his own has him in second place at The Belfry Hotel & Resort.
Related: Marcel Siem finishes strong to share lead
Starting from the Brabazon’s iconic tenth hole, Siem missed the green with his tee shot but scrambled well to save par before making his first birdie of the day by converting an opportunity from ten feet on the par three 12th.
The six-time DP World Tour winner then rode a wave of momentum from the 15th, carding back-to-back birdies before holing a 22-foot eagle putt at the par five 17th as the fan-favourite impressed the crowds at the four-time Ryder Cup venue.
He then dropped shots at the difficult par four 18th and the par four second, before cancelling out a birdie at the fifth with a bogey at the sixth to sit on nine under after 36 holes.
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Englishman Fitzpatrick, who is hoping to secure a fourth Ryder Cup appearance through a Captain’s Pick from Luke Donald, did his chances no harm with an impressive round of 69 to climb to second place as he targets a second win in this event, following his maiden DP World Tour victory ten years ago.
Fellow Ryder Cup hopeful Matt Wallace shares third place on seven under par, joining New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori and South African Brandon Stone two shots back of Siem’s lead.
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After another 25 tee shots landed on the tenth green and 16 eagles or better carded across the course on day two – including Spaniard Joel Moscatel’s albatross at the 17th – the total raised for Guide Dogs after two rounds at the Betfred British Masters stands at £77,500.
Player quotes
Marcel Siem: My ego took over a little on the back nine because I hit really good shots. Felt like I could have shot a bit lower than today, so my ego took over a bit. That’s why you didn’t see me smiling.
Body feels great. That helps to keep the momentum, keep the same rhythm over 18 holes.
