SURREY’S Ross McGowan holds a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of the D+D REAL Czech Challenge after he holed a 30-foot eagle putt on his final hole.
McGowan, who shared the overnight lead with Robin Roussel on five-under par, signed for a consecutive round of 66 to move two strokes ahead of the Frenchman at the end of the second round at Kaskáda Golf Resort.
The two-time European Challenge Tour winner started the day with three birdies in his opening six hole and bounced back following a bogey on the 17th – his eighth hole – with a birdie on the 18th.
The Banstead member who helped Surrey win both the English County Championship at both U18 and men’s levels before turning pro in 2006, started his back nine with a further gain, but a frustrating run of holes saw him drop a shot on the fifth to join Roussel, who led in the clubhouse, on eight under par.
After an errand tee shot on his final hole, McGowan produced two of the shots of the day, finding the green from 210 yards from the bunker, before sinking an eagle putt to take the outright lead at the halfway stage in Brno.
McGowan said: “I had a horrible lie in the bunker and managed to squeeze-cut a five-wood onto the green and dropped a long one from 30-feet.
“I’ve put two rounds together, so that’s the first positive I’ll take into the weekend. Usually it’s one good and one bad round, so it’s nice to put two good scores together. I didn’t play my best on the back nine but hopefully I’ll sort that out before teeing off tomorrow.
“The bogey on 17 was annoying. I had a horrible lie off the fairway, but it came out a lot better than I thought. I knocked a wedge into ten foot on the 18th to set up the birdie. Then on one, I hit a five wood into 40 foot, and it was a good two putt for birdie.”
Roussel followed up his opening round of 66 with a three under par round of 68 to sit two shots behind McGowan, as he goes in search for his maiden Challenge Tour title.
Denmark’s Rasmus Højgaard, who continues to impress during his debut Challenge Tour season, carded a round of 66 to move three shots off the lead, while a group of seven players sit a further stroke behind on six under.
Four players from the Czech Republic – Petr Gal, Stanislav Matus, Filip Mruzek and Michal Pospisil made the cut with Mruzek leading the home charge on two under.
