Ryan Lumsden will take a one-stroke lead into the weekend of the Rosa Challenge Tour after firing a five under par second round of 65 at Rosa Golf Club.
The Scot matched his opening round tally on day two, mixing six birdies with a solitary bogey to reach ten under par for the week, one shot ahead of Frenchman Julien Brun who had earlier set the clubhouse lead at nine under par.
Lumsden is now in prime position going into the weekend, having just made two bogeys in the opening 36 holes.
“I am really pleased, I played very solidly through the wind and then had a nice little run on the front nine, my back nine. So yeah, it was great.
“The score's the same, the game was a little different. I didn’t putt super well yesterday and spent a bunch of time on the putting green after the round and just getting help from my coach who picked something up and did some good work and putted much better today, so I was really pleased with that. And then, yeah, still struck it well. It was just much harder in the tougher wind.
“It was much tougher today. I think the conditions were very windy, and then obviously we were kind of a very late tee time, so the greens were a little more chewed up by the end.”
A strong finish to Thursday’s opening round put Lumsden in a share for fifth coming into day two but the 29-year-old, starting on the tenth, struggled to get his round going, playing his opening four holes to par. Back-to-back birdies followed at the 13th and 14th holes, before a dropped shot at the 18th saw Lumsden make the turn in 34.
The Scot didn’t faulter though, as he made four gains in his next five holes to move into the solo lead, before three routine pars saw him finish top.
“Those runs make a big difference. The 18th, my ninth hole, was playing brutally, and I made a good up-and-down for bogey. Bouncing back from that and then really pushing on when you’re playing well it gives you confidence. It’s a great feeling whenever it happens, so I was delighted.”
Lumsden puts himself in prime position and knows all too well what a positive result this week could do to his season, at such a crucial stage on the Road to Mallorca, but is not putting any pressure on himself going into the weekend.
“I think the golf game itself has been there. I've been hitting it well, I've been putting well in practice, doing everything right.
"It just feels like I've been getting in my own way, caring too much, wanting it too much, putting myself in great positions all time and time again, and kind of getting in my own way.
“And really, this is the result of changing the perspective this week. You know, the game's been like this for six weeks now, but this is just slightly more of a little bit more acceptance, a little bit more carefree golf, and just not taking it quite as seriously and quite as intensely.
“I think that's the whole difference, is just no expectations. You know, you could go out and play great, you could go out, play poorly. It kind of doesn't matter. You go out, do the best you can with the shot in front of you, and I'll finish where I finish. But, you know, no expectations, and that's how we're going to go into it.”
England’s Andrew Wilson is joined by Danish duo Kristan Hjort Bressum and Victor Sidal Svensen in a share of third on eight under par, ahead of a five-way tie for sixth on seven under.
The third round of the Rosa Golf Tour will get under way at 8am local time on Saturday morning with Lumsden teeing off alongside Brun and Bressum at 12:02pm.
