Matt Wallace takes four-shot lead into the weekend

Matt Wallace made five birdies on the front nine, including four in-a-row from the fourth to make the turn in 30 then made three more consecutive birdies from the 14th to close with a 62 and take the Omega European Masters lead by four shots. He is the only player in the field still bogey-free after 36 holes.

“I’m swinging it nice, hitting it good and hopefully carry that on into the weekend,” said the Englishman. “It’s going to sound crazy, but I missed a few chances, I really did. The putter didn’t really let me down, but I tried to be aggressive with the wedges, didn’t really pull (it) off and then I was grinding in those areas.

“But that one on 16 was my hole of the day really because playing those par fives pretty good and missing that putt for eagle, but that par-three was really special – it was a great iron shot into the perfect spot and then the perfect putt so a lot of confidence taken from that.

“It is a golf competition at the end of the day and I love getting into competition, but I want to get away from the competition as much as possible so playing like that today helps and go again tomorrow.”

Overnight co-leader Alex Fitzpatrick made four birdies and a single bogey at the par-3 16th for a 67 and lipped down into solo second place at 10-under.

Fellow Englishman Jordan Smith made seven birdies and two bogeys at the par-4s 10th and 12th for a 65 and a share of third place at 9-under alongside Sweden’s Henrik Norlander who closed with a 67 featuring four birdies and a bogey at the par-4 17th.

Spain’s Alfredo Garcia-Heredia who held a share of the lead overnight closed with a 69 to move down into a share of fifth place at 8-under alongside England’s Andrew Johnston and Germany’s Nicolai von Dellingshausen who both shot 67s.

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