Sep 2, 2017: Lee Slattery fired a brilliant second round 65 in wet and cold conditions to set the clubhouse target before play was suspended for the day at the D+D REAL Czech Masters. India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar had a disappointing second round with back to back bogies in the back nine from 14th hole to 17th hole which pulled him to miss the cut with a score of 4-over-par 76.
The Englishman – a two-time European Tour winner – Slattery – has just one top ten so far this season and sits 107th on the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex but he found his form in spectacular style in Prague.
He recorded eight birdies and a single bogey to get to seven under, four shots clear of Zander Lombard who was his nearest challenger in the clubhouse.
The rain had been falling heavily throughout the morning and by early afternoon the course became flooded, with play suspended at 2.20pm local time with the final four groups having all 18 holes to complete.
South African Dylan Frittelli was one under after four holes to sit a shot off the lead, one clear of England’s Chris Hanson and Swede Pontus Widegren, both of whom had completed a single hole.
Chile’s Felipe Aguilar, Frenchman Grégory Bourdy and English duo James Morrison and Callum Shinkwin were all four under par in the early stages of their second rounds.
Slattery made gains on the tenth, 11th, a hat-trick from the 13th and another birdie on the 16th to match Eddie Pepperell’s back nine 30 from Thursday.
An approach to eight feet on the second handed Slattery the lead on his own and when he put his tee-shot on the par three seventh to similar range, he was eight under and looking at equalling the course record.
Overall, it was a flawless round of golf, 14 fairways and 17 greens because I missed that one green, in this weather it was pretty incredible – Lee Slattery
A bogey on the next dashed those hopes but his 65 was still the best completed round of the day by some four shots by a man whose wife is currently a week overdue with the couple’s second child.
“My wife is seven days overdue now with our second baby, I managed to stay home for two weeks because she was early with the first one but I thought I would do the right thing and make sure I am there for the birth,” he said.
“Typically, she is late so it will be nice to get home and hopefully if she can hold off for another couple of days then that would be great and that would be a great present for me, that’s bigger than any golf tournament.
“It’s got to be up there, if not the best round (of his career). The only green I missed today was the eighth hole and I hit a great chip to five feet and missed it and had a three on the first for a par. So overall, it was a flawless round of golf, 14 fairways and 17 greens because I missed that one green, in this weather it was pretty incredible.
“The guys may have a result coming back tomorrow in dry conditions but wherever I lie now, I’m going to be there and in the thick of it during the weekend so that’s all you can do so I’m really happy.”
South African Lombard had five birdies and four bogeys in his 71, with countryman Jaco Ahlers, 2014 champion Jamie Donaldson, German Bernd Ritthammer and Austrian Martin Wiegele all on the front nine also at three under.
Englishmen Pepperell and Matthew Fitzpatrick, last week’s winner Julian Suri, 2015 champion Thomas Pieters and Italian Matteo Manassero were then all in the clubhouse at two under.
The second round will restart at 7.30am on Saturday with the third round being played in three-balls off two tees and not starting before 12.45pm.
European Tour Release
