See-sawing Stenson still leading

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June 24, 2011

Henrik Stenson had an up and down second day at the BMW International Open on Friday – but held onto the clubhouse lead.

Overnight leader Henrik Stenson’s finish in Friday’s second round of the BMW International Open in Munich was worse than his start.

He bogeyed both of his last two holes, but was still clinging to a share of the second-round clubhouse lead as the tournament reached the mid-day point on day two.

The resurgent Swedish Ryder Cup star, who had teed off on the 10th, had gone three clear with a chip-in eagle at the long sixth – his 15th – and a tap-in birdie on the next, but he missed the green at the short eighth and, after dropping a stroke there, he hit his approach to the 557 yard, par-five ninth (his last) into the ditch just short of the green for a another bogey.

His fizzle at the end meant a round of 70 to add to his sparkling opening 64 for a 10-under 36-hole total of 134 and put him into an early tie for the clubhouse lead with South Africa’s George Coetzee.

“It’s never fun to finish with two bogeys, but you win some, you lose some. I’m in a good position and I’m feeling very good.” said the one-time World No 4 who, for the past few weeks has been putting his creaking career back on the fast track.

Coetzee was just one behind with four holes to go at that stage, but then went into the water on the sixth, a hole that had cost 53-year-old Bernhard Langer a quadruple bogey nine earlier, and took a six, and dropped back.

But not for long.

The South African, who, not too long ago was relatively unknown on the European Tour, but who has been featuring strongly on the Tour’s top-10 leader boards in the last few weeks, hit back from his six with back-to-back birdies to draw level with Stenson before a closing par gave the 24 year old from Pretoria a second successive 67 and a share of the lead.

Two shots behind him were Scot Paul Lawrie, Dutchman Tim Sluiter and Welshman Bradley Dredge, in with a 66 as he tries to make amends for losing a three shot lead on the final day here a year ago.

Italian 18-year-old Matteo Manassero and Spaniard Sergio Garcia, who needs a top-four finish to have any chance of grabbing one of two Open Championship places on offer this weekend, were both on four under and not out of the hunt.

Colin Montgomerie, also not in the Sandwich field yet, matched Stenson’s eagle at the sixth, but a 72 kept him at two under and diminished his chances of also winning one of those tickets to Royal St Georges.

Lawrie, on the other hand, fell four back by following a bogey at the seventh with a double bogey seven on the ninth.

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