England’s Brian Davis defied gusting winds at the Marriott Forest of Arden to take a one stroke lead at the halfway stage of The Daily Telegraph Dunlop Masters.
Davis leads fellow Englishman David Howell, who carded a 72, and the Danish pair of Søren Hansen (71) and Thomas Björn, whose 68 was the only sub-70 round of the day.
A one under par 71 for a four under par total of 140 for Davis tells little of the story of his round which included just about everything. After a good start in which the Londoner made two birdies in his first three holes after starting at the tenth, he suffered a temporary aberration when he missed a two foot putt for par on the 16th and followed that with a triple bogey eight on the 17th, twice hitting it in the water.
Four shots dropped in the space of two holes. In years past Davis may well have let the mishap get to him and he would slip to a score in the high 70s but the 30 year old has found a new peace on the golf course. Instead of falling further back he saved par on the 18th with a good up and down and then got on a run.
He hit his approach stiff on the first for a birdie, two putted the par five third for another and then holed from 20 feet for a third birdie on the nine on the par three fifth.
Davis managed to keep the momentum going on the sixth despite dropping a shot, primarily as a bogey was a good result considering he had to play his second shot left handed after coming to rest against a tree.
He bounced back with another birdie on the par five seventh to return to the top of the leaderboard before two closing pars completed an eventful 71.
Davis credited much of his patient approach to enjoying life with his family off the golf course. “I have always driven myself into the ground and as much as I am focused on my golf right now, I am focusing somewhere else. I am really enjoying spending time with my wife, Julie, and son, Oliver, and we have another on the way at the end of the year. I am enjoying that side of things and it is helping me on the golf course.
“I live and die by the sword. I always have. Sometimes it gets the better of me, sometimes it helps me. I am trying to control that a little. I remember I missed the cut at Phoenix this year by a shot and putted awful in the second round. I was hugely disappointed and mad at myself. I came off and my little boy stood up in the car and said ‘Dada.’ All of a sudden I didn’t care about golf – for about a minute!”
Björn is also enjoying his golf at present. His 68 contained just the one dropped shot.
“I think I screwed the right head on this morning,” said the Dane. “It was never going to be the prettiest of golf in these conditions but I felt I kept the momentum all the way, did all the right things. It was a case of trying to eliminate mistakes all day and I succeeded very much in that.”
Hansen also broke par with a 71, the highlight being an eagle three on the 12th, to match his compatriot on three under par 141. Howell completed the trio in the chasing group after a level par 72.
A further shot adrift on two under par is local favourite, Midlander Steve Webster, continuing the form which carried him to victory last weekend in Italy with a 71. He was joined by New Zealand’s Michael Campbell, who finished eagle-birdie for a round of 70.
Only eight players broke par with winds gusting up to 25 mph. The cut fell at seven over par, equalling the highest cut of the season from the Volvo China Open.
