HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — Maximilian Kieffer stayed atop the leaderboard after the second round of the European Open, though a late double bogey cut his lead to one stroke on Friday.
Kieffer, tied for the lead after the first round, carded a 2-under 71 to stay a shot in front of Tom McKibbin (69), David Law (66) and 2017 European Open winner Jordan Smith (71), all at 5 under.
“The first nine holes I played really well,” Kieffer said. “I had birdie chance on every hole.”
After starting on the 10th hole, Kieffer was 8 under at the turn and held it until the eighth, when he double-bogeyed after hitting his tee shot into the water.
“Unfortunately on eight, I actually didn’t hit that bad of a shot,” he said. “The wind just switched and gusted up, so I made a double there, but overall, I’m quite happy.”
Law recorded the best round of the tournament, his 7-under 66 including an eagle on the par-five 18th.
Simon Forsström started the day with a share of the lead but slid into a tie for 21st after a 4-over 77 that included a triple bogey.
Besides Kieffer’s lead, there was another standout moment for the local fans as Germany’s Hurly Long made an albatross on the par-5, 595-yard 11th, finding the hole with a 281-yard approach shot.
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