July 29, 2017: England’s Ashley Chesters remained the man to catch after the weather-affected second round of the Porsche European Open was completed.
Chesters had posted a flawless 67 on Friday to grab the clubhouse lead with a nine under par halfway total before play was suspended after almost four hours of play were lost to a waterlogged course.
Richard McEvoy, Stuart Manley and defending champion Alex Levy were all one behind with holes to play overnight, but all three dropped shots over the closing stretch at Green Eagle Golf Courses near Hamburg when play resumed at 08.00am on Saturday morning.
Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh, who like Chesters finished his second round on Friday, was joined in second place by Jens Fahrbring – the Swede reaching eight under with a birdie on the seventh.
Levy was part of a five-man group a shot further back after bogeying the 16th, while American Patrick Reed surged into contention when he holed a five-wood for albatross on the par-five 18th to reach five under.
“I knew it was either going to be really good or just over the green in the rough” – Patrick Reed
“I felt like things were going in the right direction so I was hoping if I hit a good drive I could make a birdie, maybe eagle,” said the American Ryder Cup star.
“To hole out a five-wood from the right rough, cutting it, was pretty special. From the yardage I had it was barely in the rough it was a pretty decent lie.
“I knew it was either going to be really good or just over the green in the rough.
“That’s my first [albatross] in professional play, my second ever – I’ve had one before at home. That was the key, to come out this morning and finish strong.”
European Tour Release
