In the serene landscape of Odense Eventyr Golf, Norwegian dynamo Andreas Halvorsen blazed through with an electrifying second consecutive six-under-par round of 66.
With this dazzling display, Halvorsen clinched a slender one-stroke lead after 36 holes at the Danish Golf Challenge, standing tall at a commanding 12-under-par.
Halvorsen, 27, entered the second round tied for the overnight lead, and he swiftly made his intentions clear.
The front nine saw him rocket through with five birdies, marred only by a single bogey at the seventh. Undeterred by another bogey on the 12th, Halvorsen bounced back with three more birdies, mirroring his opening round’s score.
“I’ve been rolling it really well on the greens,” Halvorsen remarked, his eyes gleaming with confidence.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve been too aggressive, but I’ve been putting well – that’s been the key so far”.
“It definitely takes a little bit of pressure off not needing to hit it too close and knowing I can still make a 15-footer.”
With a philosophy of consistency, Halvorsen aimed to replicate his first-round strategy without venturing into risky territory.
“I tried to play the holes basically the same as I did yesterday, but still not really risking it too much,” he said, emphasizing his measured approach.
This season marks Halvorsen’s debut on the Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca, and he’s been making waves, securing cuts in all five of his starts.
His recent performance in Spain, where he entered the weekend tied for second, has evidently bolstered his confidence. As he gears up for another potential victory, Halvorsen’s excitement is palpable.
“I’m excited for it,” he said. “I played well in Spain and got good experience there being near the lead”. “I haven’t really been in that position on this tour before, so it’s nice to get another experience here and it will be fun to see how I handle that.”
Despite acknowledging that his driving has not been perfect, Halvorsen remains undeterred.
“I’m not hitting it great off the tee, so I’ll try to minimise risk but still give myself some good chances,” he added.
Hot on his heels is Iceland’s Gudmundur Kristjansson, who carded a stellar 67, positioning himself just one stroke behind Halvorsen at 11-under-par.
Close behind in third is South Africa’s Oliver Bekker. The leaderboard tightens further with Spaniard Joel Moscatel, Dane Frederik Birkelund, and Swede Hugo Townsend, each trailing by another shot.
The pack chasing the leaders is dense, with seven players tied for seventh at seven-under-par.
This group includes Road to Mallorca Number One Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Scot Ryan Lumsden, and Englishman Bradley Bawden, who impressed with the day’s lowest round of 64.
As the tension builds, the third round is set to tee off at 9:00 am on Saturday.
Halvorsen, alongside Kristjansson and Bekker, will take to the course at 11:09 am, with all eyes on whether the Norwegian can maintain his lead and march towards his first Challenge Tour victory.
