Friday 8 November 2019 15:45, UK
Matthias Schwab edged into a one-shot lead at the Turkish Airlines Open, as Justin Rose stayed in the hunt for a third consecutive victory in Antalya.
Schwab birdied the par-five last to close a five-under 67 and move ahead of a congested leaderboard at The Montgomerie Maxx Royal, where four strokes separate the leading 24 players after another day of low scoring.
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The Austrian heads into the weekend on 12 under and holding a narrow advantage over the four-way tie for second, with Danny Willett and Ross Fisher joined by Thomas Detry and Alex Noren a shot off the pace.
Noren held the outright advantage until a final-hole bogey, while Rose birdied three of his last five holes to close a second successive 67 and stay within two strokes of the lead.
"I wasn't really hitting them great at all, especially early on but kept it together," Schwab said. "The long game wasn't on but I managed to make a few good pars. On the back nine I found my swing a little bit and made a few good birdies coming home."
Fisher, who received late entry into the event, set the initial clubhouse target after birdieing three of his final four holes to close a second-round 64 and get to 11 under, only for Detry and Willett to move alongside him after posting matching 66s.
Noren - without a top-10 on the European Tour since the 2018 DP World Tour Championship - followed five birdies in his opening nine holes by nailing a 20-footer at the 17th to briefly move into top spot, only to lose his advantage on the final hole.
The Swede found a bush with his second shot and then three-putted from distance to make a closing bogey and drop back to 11 under, as Schwab - playing in the group behind - birdied four of his final eight holes to grab the halfway advantage.
Rose, looking to join Sir Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam and Colin Montgomerie as the only players to win a regular European Tour event three years in succession, stayed in a share of sixth after mixing six birdies with a sole bogey during a steady second round.
Robert MacIntyre threatened a sub-60 round after a front-nine 29 and birdies at the 11th and 13th on his way to a round-of-the-day 63, with Justin Harding, Jason Scrivener and David Lipsky completing the quintet on 10 under.
A bogey-free 65 lifted Patrick Reed into the top-15 and Champion Golfer of the Year Shane Lowry matched the American's total to get seven under for the week, as Race to Dubai leader Bernd Wiesberger dropped to tied-62nd after a level-par 72.
Watch the Turkish Airlines Open throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Saturday from 9am on Sky Sports Golf.
