Golf

Alvaro Quiros shares Malmo lead after a day’s best 67 in Nordea Masters

Kevin Phelan best placed of Irish on three under, Gareth Maybin a shot further back

Ireland’s Shane Lowry plays a bunker shot at the 18th green during the Nordea Masters at the PGA Sweden National yesterday. Photograph: Mark Runnacles/Getty Images
Ireland’s Shane Lowry plays a bunker shot at the 18th green during the Nordea Masters at the PGA Sweden National yesterday. Photograph: Mark Runnacles/Getty Images
Fri May 30 2014 - 21:15

Alvaro Quiros carded the best round of the second day of the Nordea Masters in Malmo to take a share of the lead with Victor Dubuisson and Eddie Pepperell.

Spaniard Quiros was five-under-par for the day following eagles on the first and 11th holes along with birdies on the 15th and 18th and a bogey on the fourth as he went round in 67.

That bogey cost him the outright lead, but Quiros was satisfied with his score in light of what he felt to be issues with his putting.

“I’ve been hitting the ball very well from tee to green, but even with the scores I’ve had I have not putted great,” Quiros told www.europeantour.com. “I had one putt from eight metres for eagle on 11, but apart from that I’ve had a lot of putts from around five or six metres and not holed any. So even though I’m happy I could have putted better.

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“This course is playing a few holes long, and even the short ones are feeling easy. My length helps but the important thing is to control it. The distance control is hard in this wind though. At least it was warmer today than yesterday.”

France’s Dubuisson was an earlier finisher on day two and enjoyed a share of the clubhouse lead with birdies on the first, second, 13th and 14th holes, with a bogey on the 17th the only blot on his card.

The 24-year-old Frenchman, who won last year’s Turkish Airlines Open, said: “It’s a great score. I played good today.

“It was more difficult than yesterday because the wind was in a different direction and it made some of the par fives difficult to make birdie on. My short game was good and that was important.”

Pepperell, who held the overnight lead alongside Jens Dantorp, birdied the last to join the leading group again after a level-par 72 which included two further birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey.

Welshman Bradley Dredge was in a six-way tie for fourth with Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee, Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher and Chris Doak, and home favourites Henrik Stenson and Dantorp.

Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello fell slightly off the pace as he cancelled out three birdies with bogeys on the 18th, second and sixth holes after starting on the back nine.

It saw him finish on level par for the day and four under in total, alongside Sweden’s Peter Hanson and Robert Karlsson and Italian Edoardo Molinari.

Kevin Phelan was best placed of the Irish contingent on three under par after a second round of 70. Gareth Maybin was a shot further back after a 75 while Shane Lowry, Michael Hoey and Peter Lawrie also made the cut.