Matthieu Pavon was eager to maintain momentum after a strong finish that allowed him to hold the lead heading into the weekend at the Acciona Open de España presented by Madrid. The Frenchman started with 64-68 last year and finished as the runner-up, and this week he has shot 63-68 to lead the field at 11 under. Although it seemed like Pavon might lose his one-shot overnight lead on day two, he managed to birdie four of his last six holes and maintain a slim advantage over Dutchman Wil Besseling and India’s Shubhankar Sharma. Home favorite Alfredo Garcia-Heredia and Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera were both at nine under, with England’s Nathan Kimsey trailing by one shot. Additionally, there were 11 players four shots behind the leader.
Pavon has been in contention several times before, with two wins on the Alps Tour and three second-place finishes on both the European Challenge and DP World Tours. Leading after 18 and 36 holes earlier this season at the DS Automobiles Italian Open, he faded away on the weekend. Therefore, he understands the importance of maintaining his focus and pursuing his first DP World Tour victory. “I’ll stick to my plan,” he said. “There are many opportunities out here; it’s about staying patient, waiting for putts to drop, and catching good momentum on the par fives. The course suits my game, and I feel comfortable with the memories from last year. I perceive shots quickly with the given yardages.”
Pavon started his round with seven pars from the tenth hole. After flying the green at the par-three 17th and turning with a 36, it appeared that it might not be his day. However, a crucial seven-footer on the second saved par after finding sand, sparking Pavon into action. He subsequently birdied the par-five fourth with an up and down from the sand, and on the sixth, he holed a 23-foot putt. A superb approach on the eighth led to a birdie from five feet, putting him in a share of the lead once again. He then hit a similar tee-shot on the par-three ninth and regained the top spot on his own.
Besseling is in need of a strong finish to secure his playing privileges for the season. He sandwiched a two-putt birdie on the seventh with excellent approaches on the fifth and 12th, bringing him to double digits under par. Although a bogey on the 16th threatened his progress, he made a brilliant up-and-down on the last hole, signing for a 68.
Sharma bogeyed the third hole, but a sand save on the fourth and approaches within 15 feet on the fifth and eighth allowed him to turn at 34. Despite a second bogey on the tenth, he made an excellent tee-shot on the par-three 11th and sank a long-range putt on the 13th. Taking advantage of the par-five 14th, he hit a smart approach on the final hole, finishing with his second consecutive 66.
Garcia-Heredia had a bogey-free round of 64, while Lorenzo-Vera had a roller coaster round of 68 with an eagle, four birdies, and three bogeys. Kimsey, like his fellow Frenchman Guerrier, also had an eagle, four birdies, and three bogeys in his 68, placing him one shot ahead of the pack. Guerrier carded the lowest round of the day with a 63.
Joining them at seven under were Frenchmen Romain Langasque and Antoine Rozner, local favorite Alejandro del Rey, Scot Grant Forrest, Italian Edoardo Molinari, England’s John Parry and Eddie Pepperell, German Marcel Siem, Dane Martin Simonsen, and Paraguayan Fabrizio Zanotti.
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SOURCE: europeantour.com
