Edoardo Molinari lit up the leaderboard with a scorching 10-under-par 61 on the Lakes Course at INFINITUM, vaulting five shots ahead after Round 2 of the Final Stage Qualifying School.
The three-time DP World Tour winner and Ryder Cup Vice Captain was in phenomenal form, racking up nine birdies, an eagle, and just one bogey to end his round at an impressive 17-under for the tournament.
He’s now comfortably ahead of France’s Félix Mory and Norway’s Alexander Settemsdal, who are tied for second at 12-under.
Molinari came to Tarragona with his game honed and a clear mission. Reflecting on his sizzling performance, he shared, “I hit the ball very good today and I had lots and lots of chances,” he said.
“My putting was okay and I chipped in a couple of times from just off the green which obviously helped.
The Italian, no stranger to the gruelling Q-School grind after making it through in 2015 and 2016, emphasised the importance of patience for the remaining rounds.
“It’s always nice to get off to a good start but there’s still a lot of golf to be played and hopefully I can keep playing as good as I did today and keep shooting low scores,” he added.
“It’s a long week for everyone with it being six rounds. I think at the end of the week, if you’re playing well, you’re going to finish in that top 20. I think you just have to be patient.
“Being here, you just have to accept it, get back to work and grind it out and shoot better scores. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
It’s a long week, with six rounds to complete, but Molinari’s sharp focus and recent improvements in putting are clearly working to his advantage.
“From tee to green was extremely good today. It’s obviously very low scoring which doesn’t normally suit my game but I’ve been putting much better in the last six months which helps around here.
“The last month or so I knew I was going to lose my card, so I tried to get ready for this week and so far I’ve been doing pretty good so hopefully I can keep it going.”
Frenchman Robin Sciot-Siegrist sits in fourth on 11-under, with Clément Sordet close behind in fifth at 10-under.
The leaderboard is packed, with six players, including England’s Eddie Pepperell and Callan Barrow, bunched together at nine-under.
The third round of the Final Stage Qualifying School will commence at 9:00 am, with Molinari, Mory, and Settemsdal teeing off on the Hills Course at 11:12 am.
