Edberg shares Pula lead after 64

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May 24, 2010

Sweden’s Pelle Edberg fired a second-round 64 to share the halfway lead at the European Tour event in Majorca.

Sweden’s Pelle Edberg was in a league of his own with a second-round 64 at the European Tour event in cold and windy Majorca on Friday.
It brought him into the joint lead with South African James Kingston, who was able to add only a level-par 70 to his pacesetting opening 65.
They were three clear of the field at the halfway stage of the Iberdrola Open Cala Millor Mallorca, Welshman Stuart Manley’s 68 bringing him into a tie for third on two under with Spaniards Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Alejandro Canizares.
Six months after losing his Tour card and then failing to win it back at the qualifying school, Edberg has had only limited opportunities on the circuit this season.
But the 31-year-old known for his colourful headbands has already recorded one top-10 finish and now a first victory is in his sights at Pula after the joint lowest round of his career.
Edberg, out in 32 before picking up further shots on the fifth, sixth and eighth, was on the last fairway when a thunderstorm halted play for over two hours.
“I had 165 metres to the pin on the ninth and was practising with a seven-iron, but when I got back on the course after the delay it was a soft nine-iron,” he said.
“It was crazy. Even that pitched by the hole and finished 15 metres behind.
“I didn’t expect 64, but I played really well tee-to-green and gave myself opportunities.”
On the resumption the temperature had dropped markedly and the wind created havoc on some holes.
Ireland’s Gary Murphy was tied for third at three under, but double-bogeyed the eighth and 11th holes and then triple-bogeyed the next.
When he dropped three more strokes in the last two holes Murphy handed in a 79 and was heading out of the event.
By then Ryder Cup Dane Soren Hansen, at 50th in the world the highest-ranked player in the field, had already crashed out of his first tournament since The Masters after collapsing to a 10-over-par 80.
At the end of the day only seven players were under par, England’s Andrew Marshall and Scot Jamie McLeary both scoring 69 to stand one under.
“The course has become a monster. It’s brutal out there,” said Marshall.