Defending champion Thriston Lawrence produced a spectacular stretch of six consecutive birdies before pulling off a remarkable par save from a bunker, a sequence that propelled him to the top of the leaderboard at the halfway mark of the Omega European Masters. The South African is now eyeing a historic achievement that would see him join the legend of the late Seve Ballesteros.
Ballesteros remains the only player to have captured this tournament three times since it was incorporated into the DP World Tour in 1972, securing victories in 1977, 1978 and again in 1989. Lawrence, however, is in a position to match that record after winning at Crans‑sur‑Sierre in 2022 and repeating the feat last season. If he can sustain his current form, a third triumph would place him alongside the Spanish great in the event’s storied history. On Friday, Lawrence posted a flawless, bogey‑free round of 63, which is seven strokes under par.
That performance lifted him to a total of 13 under for the tournament and gave him a comfortable two‑shot cushion over Germany’s Jeremy Paul and Spain’s Ignacio Elvira, both of whom posted a round‑of‑the‑day 62. With 36 holes still to play, Lawrence’s lead appears solid, but the field remains deep and competitive.
Japan’s Keita Nakajima sits in fourth place at 10 under, while England’s Paul Casey is part of a three‑player tie for fifth, each sitting at nine under after the first two rounds. Casey’s fellow Englishman, Harry Hall, was looking strong after an explosive front‑nine that featured five birdies and a front‑nine score of 30, taking him to 10 under through nine holes of his second round. Unfortunately, a hip injury hampered his back‑nine performance; he dropped three strokes on the final five holes and finished at seven under, leaving him six shots off Lawrence’s lead.
Lawrence’s round began at the 10th tee, where he made par on five of his first six holes, punctuated by a birdie at the 13th. The momentum truly shifted on the 16th, when a superb tee shot set up a tap‑in birdie. The 29‑year‑old continued to add strokes over the next five holes, highlighted by a dramatic 40‑plus‑foot putt on the first hole of that stretch and an impressive chip‑in from off the green on the second. Although he was unable to add further birdies in the final third of his round, Lawrence demonstrated his short‑game prowess by saving par on the fifth hole with a bunker chip‑in, his second attempt to escape the sand after an initial putt from the hazard missed its mark.
Reflecting on his performance, Lawrence admitted that a top‑10 finish had eluded him since March. He said, "I've played well all year. I've just been unlucky so many times, missing the cut by one shot four or five times. I feel like I've been playing well, but mentally, I'm in a much better space.
Seeing birdies and putts go in, I feel like you gain confidence from that. Coming back to a place I love is just extra confidence." Jeremy Paul posted a six‑under 64 in the second round, a round that featured six birdies and an eagle, five of which came on his back nine, including a dramatic gain on the final hole despite bogeys on the seventh and ninth. Ignacio Elvira, who was runner‑up to Joe Dean at last week’s British Masters at The Belfry, recorded an eight‑under Friday, mixing nine birdies with a solitary bogey.
He also chipped in for birdies on the third and ninth holes, marking his lowest DP World Tour round since July 2023. The tournament will continue with round three being broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf from 11:30 a.m.
on Saturday, followed by the final round on Sunday at 11 a.m. on the same channel. Fans can also stream the action and other premium sports content contract‑free via NOW.
For golfers looking to experience world‑class courses themselves, the platform offers competitive rates and the ability to book a round at any of the 1,700 courses across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Simply enter a course name, city, or postal code to find availability. If no results appear, try adjusting the search criteria for a broader selection.