Sebastian Söderberg fired a seven under par round of 65 to take a three-stroke lead into the weekend of the Volvo China Open.
Related: Soderberg continues fine form to share Volvo China lead
The Swede followed up his brilliant opening round of 63 by carding eight birdies and one bogey on Day Two to reach 16 under par at Hidden Grace Golf Club.
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The 33-year-old started on the tenth hole and raced clear at the top of the leaderboard with six birdies in his first nine holes, however he saw his lead cut as he bogeyed the par four first hole, followed by four consecutive pars. Söderberg bounced back with birdies at the sixth and eighth to lead by three from England’s Paul Waring.
Waring matched Söderberg’s round of 65 to move to 13 under par, and he sits one stroke ahead of three-time DP World Tour winner Guido Migliozzi in third place.
Four-time DP World Tour winner Adrian Otaegui, Switzerland’s Joel Girrbach and Czech Gordan Brixi share fourth place on 11 under par, while South African Zander Lombard and Lloyd Jefferson Go, of the Philippines, who is making his first appearance on the DP World Tour this week after receiving an invitation from the Chinese Golf Association (CGA), are a shot further back in seventh.
Söderberg currently leads the Asian Swing Rankings, which concludes after the Volvo China Open, where the winner will earn $200,000 and entry to the Back Nine events, while the top three will gain a spot in the US PGA Championship later this month.
Player Quotes
Sebastian Söderberg: It’s been two very good days and I’m in a pretty good position. We’re only halfway through the tournament and with the course being so soft I know there will be some low scores over the weekend. You have to make sure you hit it pretty straight off the tee round here.
I need to remain in the present and focus on the positives over the negatives. It’s important to focus on my own game and not worry about how others are doing. It’s going to be a mental challenge over the weekend for sure.
I feel pretty confident with my game at the moment but obviously the pressure will be a lot higher with me at the top of the leaderboard heading into the weekend. I really need to keep my emotions in check and hopefully I can get over the line.
I know what it takes to win out here and I’ve been in contention over the last two weeks. I’m going to stay as calm as possible.
Paul Waring: I’m very happy with my first 36 holes. I’m driving it great, and my wedges have been good. There are a lot of birdie chances out there if you can get it in play off the tee and the hit your wedges close. I’ve hit some really solid putts and I’ve been reading the greens pretty well.
The course is quite soft, and the greens aren’t spinning too much. I can get quite aggressive with the wedges, and I have been firing it straight at the flags. I’m taking it one shot at a time, and I’m focussed on trying to build momentum throughout my round.
I missed the cut last week, but it hasn’t bothered me at all. I’ve had a couple of top ten finished this season, but I feel like my results haven’t represented how well I have been playing on the course. It’s been nice to see myself towards the top of the leaderboard so far this week.
Guido Migliozzi: It’s been another great day on the golf course and the game is feeling good. I’m playing much better recently and I’m striking the ball really solid. I’m very happy to be in the mix after two rounds.
Sebastian Söderberg is playing some phenomenal golf right now and he is making so many birdies. If you are in control of your game, then around this golf course you can definitely make birdies. This is a golf courser where you have to put the ball in position and then you can be aggressive with your approach shots.
I’m going to keep enjoying my golf and hopefully it’s going to be a good weekend. I will try to remain calm and keep hitting good shots.
