George Coetzee has joined Henrik Stenson in a share of the lead at the halfway stage of the BMW International Open in Munich.
While Stenson slipped up over his final two holes, Coetzee developed a hot hand to move level on 10-under, one shot ahead of Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal at the Golfclub Munchen Eichenried.
Former world number four Stenson, who has plummeted out of the world’s top 100 in the last couple of years, went into the second round with a slender one shot advantage after a fine opening-round 64. The 35-year-old, who eagled the par-five sixth for the second day running, appeared to be in a strong position when he shot four birdies and two bogeys over his first 16 holes, but a late slump prevented him from taking a two-stroke advantage in the weekend. Stenson shot back-to-back bogeys at the eighth and ninth, and Coetzee capitalised.
The South African made a blistering start with an eagle at his second hole, the par-five 11th, and he carded a birdie and a bogey to make the turn in 34. Three more birdies and two bogeys followed before he headed to the seventh, and he ensured he would share the lead after two rounds by making two birdies over his final three holes to shoot a 65 for the second successive day.
Larrazabal kept in touch with the front two with a bogey-free 67 that consisted of three birdies and a eagle, while Bradley Dredge (66), Tim Sluiter (70), Simon Khan (67), Mark Foster (68) and Markus Brier (69) are a shot further back on eight-under.
World number three Martin Kaymer, the pre-tournament favourite on his home soil, shot five birdies and a bogey as a four-under-par 68 improved his total to six-under, but he remains a shot behind fellow countryman Marcel Siem who followed up his first-round 69 with a 68 on Friday.
PGA Tour regular Dustin Johnson, who celebrated his birthday on Thursday, improved to three-under with a second-round 71, but Englishman Paul Casey, who recently slipped out of the top 10, slipped to one-over with a second-round 73 and missed the cut.
