THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Sweden’s Alexander Noren fired a 66 on Friday to open up a three-stroke lead after the second round of the Nordea Masters.
Noren, who had shared the overnight lead with compatriot Robert Karlsson, an amateur, and Jaco Van Zyl of South Africa, left his rivals behind with a round that featured six birdies and no bogeys on the 7,603-yard (6,952-meter) Bro Hof Slott course. He finished on 11-under 133 for his two rounds.
India’s Shiv Kapur also managed a 66 on Friday, his eight birdies being offset by bogeys on No. 8 and the penultimate hole to stand on 136,
American Bubba Watson (67) and Van Zyl (71) were another two strokes further back.
Noren was delighted with his performance, telling the European Tour website: "I played probably the best I’ve ever played. It’s just been great, everything has been going better."
However, he conceded that he also had an advantage over his rivals.
"It really helps playing this course a lot," he said. "I know what lines there are and I know when to step back."