Perth’s, Jason Scrivener, is just two behind the lead as the Turkish Airlines Open heads into the weekend in Antalya in Turkey.
Scrivener put together a bogey free second round of 66 to be sitting just off the lead held by Austrian Matthias Schwab and with just this week and next week’s Nedbank Challenge remaining ahead of the season ending DP World Tour Championship Dubai, he needs to capitalise on this start if he is to force his way into the top 50 who will make it to the event in three weeks time
Scrivener is currently 61st in the Race to Dubai Rankings but his start has lifted him to a projected 54th. A good weekend might just be enough to qualify for Dubai without the pressure of being forced to play well in South Africa next week.
Scott Hend showed improvement on recent efforts to be tied for 25th, three shots behind Scrivener, New Zealander Ryan Fox is 33rd and Wade Ormsby 43rd in a field where this is no cut.
For the leader, Schwab, his start to the event continues an impressive run of form of late having been 4th in two of his last three starts and inside the top ten in five of his last eight.
The 24-year-old leads the standings in the highest number of top ten finishes on the European Tour this season, with nine.
Schwab has yet to win on the European Tour but many believe that once he does he will win many.
Despite an eagle at the first hole today he struggled through much of the front nine but things improved on the way home.
“I wasn’t really hitting them great at all, especially early on but kept it together,” said Schwab.
“Obviously the start was good with an eagle on the first hole, but then it was not very nice to watch I think. 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.”
photo Matthias Schwab – Getty Images
