Joaquín Niemann followed his opening 64 with a 63 to reach 15-under par and take a two-stroke lead at the halfway point of the DS Automobiles 83° Open d’Italia at Circolo Golf Torino. Ángel Ayora matched Niemann’s Friday score to sit second on 13-under, while playing partner Matt Wallace posted a course-record 62 to climb to 11-under.

Niemann began on the 10th and made six pars in a row before three straight birdies to reach the turn. An eagle at the par-5 1st, after a pinpoint approach, followed by birdies at the fourth, seventh and ninth, brought him home in 63.

“It was a little bit of a slower start than yesterday and then I got it going on hole 15, I think it was,” Niemann said. “Then I made a nice eagle also on the first. That helped me out to get that momentum and kind of take off a little bit.”

He credited the course setup for the low numbers. “When you’re in the fairway, you’re able to score pretty low because the greens are pretty soft. If you are good with your numbers, with the irons, you can go at every pin and you’re pretty sure it’s going to stay close to the hole.”

Wallace Rewrites the Course Record

Wallace’s 62 eclipsed the mark Edoardo Molinari had set with a 63 on Thursday, putting the Englishman in line for the US$40,000 Nexo Course Record Award if no one goes lower over the weekend. He and Niemann combined for a better-ball 58 in Friday’s second round.

Wallace was quick to acknowledge what he was up against. “A little word to him; man, he’s good,” he said of Niemann. “He’s a class act. I think if you beat him by one this week, you win the tournament.”

Ayora Stays Closest

Ayora, 21, produced seven birdies and an eagle at the par-4 4th to match Niemann’s 63 and sit between the leader and the chasing group. The Spaniard built on his opening 66 and sits as Niemann’s nearest challenger heading into the weekend.

“Today, as yesterday, but today even better, I played so good, unbelievably good,” Ayora said. “I think, from the tee, this course, you have to be very good. If not, you’re going to be in trouble.”

Weekend Picture

Tom Vaillant is yet to drop a shot through 36 holes and shares third on 11-under with Wallace and Eugenio Chacarra. Romain Langasque sits alone on 10-under, with Molinari a stroke further back at nine under alongside Jorge Campillo, Ángel Hidalgo, Joakim Lagergren and Frederic Lacroix.

Home favourite Guido Migliozzi was eight under, while amateur Filippo Ponzano, whose second straight 69 featured a hole-out eagle two at the 10th, was among seven Italians to make the cut at Circolo Golf Torino, which is hosting the Italian Open for the first time since 2014.

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