Bob MacIntyre opens four-shot lead in Hamburg as Paul Casey slips

As he opened up a commanding direct at the halfway point in Hamburg bob MacIntyre discovered an additional gear in the last two of the Porsche European Open.
After first-round leader Paul Casey struggled to a 73 MacIntyre took great advantage of this afternoon weather and fired a 63 despite making only one birdie over the five par-fives.
The Scot stormed to the peak of the leaderboard on 11-under par, four obvious of Bernd Ritthammer, while Casey is off the pace because he continued to fight a difficult layout as well as a throat disease.
MacIntyre has had a rookie season in the European Tour, together with a tie for sixth at The 148th Open at Royal Portrush along with endings in May, and he is in place to land his success on Tour.
The talented left-hander’s scorecard featured a notable 11 threes – six of these for birdie, and even though he was not able to pick up shots in the long 15th or 16th, he struck on the final green in 2 and easily two-putted for his seventh birdie of the day.
“I stuck to my game plan,” said the written 23-year-old. “It’s most likely the best I have driven a chunk – perhaps this year. It is not just going it’s heading miles. I really don’t know what I’m doing so I’m just going to try and continue to perform it but it’s working.
“I can only control what I can control and that is swinging the golf club for each person shooter. That is all I’m going to perform over the weekend and hopefully I can keep the scores. Especially when it’s my first time with an outcome, it is going to be tough.
“I’m going to get to learn from that adventure, I am only doing the right things about the program, doing the appropriate things off the program. I’m nice and relaxed and everything in the house has been brilliant so I’m in the perfect mindset for going out there this weekend.”
Ritthammer gave the home fans a lot to cheer late in the day when he birdied three of their last four holes to cover an blemish-free 66 which lifted him under and alone in second position, with Casey along with Matthias Schwab and Guido Migliozzi around five under.
Casey dropped shots at 14 and 13 and began with a bogey, before rebounding back at the brief fifth with a two from a second bogey in the third, however he regrouped and clawed at two shots back at 15 and 18.
He missed a chance to get back to par for the day in the ninth, although he was happy about the setup of the hard 40, but he was pleased with his fightback.
“I’m actually quite happy with just one over because it’s such a challenging golf course,” Casey explained. “Attitude is the key, ” I had a fantastic attitude and luckily there were choices to produce birdies if you stick with it, however it is very hard.
“Not every class ought to be easy every week, but if it had been me I’d move the tees up here because you are bringing in far more interest into the way this program is performed. Risks will be more and I’d love to find guys going for it. Right now it’s very, very difficult, virtually kind of defensive, which is not so enjoyable.”
Xander Schauffele, the highest-ranked participant in the field this week, made a spirited reaction to his introduction 73 because he got into red numbers with a four-birdie 69 that lifted the world No 9 to 2 under alongside Thomas Pieters, who discovered water at the past and ran a seven up to sign to get a disappointing 72.
Former Masters champion Patrick Reed was two over four over for the championship and staring at a cut that is , but he dug deep into salvage a 72 that got him firmly.
However, his fellow American Matt Kuchar will probably be flying home early after a 2nd straight 74 which began with three bogeys.