Marcus Fraser keeps Australia’s gold medal golf hopes alive, maintaining the lead in Rio

AUSTRALIAN Marcus Fraser closed with a tap-in birdie to seize the lead after Friday’s second round of the Rio Olympics men’s golf tournament.

Marcus Fraser maintains the lead in the Olympic golf in Rio.

AUSTRALIAN Marcus Fraser closed with a tap-in birdie to seize the lead after Friday’s second round of the Rio Olympics men’s golf tournament with British Open champion Henrik Stenson and Belgium’s Thomas Pieters making a charge.

Fraser, ranked 90th, fired a two-under par 69 to stand on 10-under 132 after 36 holes and sustain hopes of a wire-to-wire victory at the first Olympic golf event in 112 years.

“I played really well,” Fraser said. “I putted well. I felt comfortable out there and good about things. Hopefully more of the same at the weekend.”

Pieters, ranked 64th, was one stroke adrift after opening and closing with three consecutive birdies to shoot 66 despite playing much of his round in heavy rains and brisk wind before afternoon clearing.

Marcus Fraser holds the lead in the Olympic golf tournament.

“I putted very well for the course conditions,” Pieters said. “I finished with three birdies in a row so I was very pleased. It’s not good enough yet. I’m excited about the weekend and just going to enjoy it.”

Sweden’s fifth-ranked Stenson, the top man in Rio after the world’s four top rated players stayed home, birdied three of the last four holes and sank a 90-foot par putt in a round of 68 to stand third on 134.

“I made some birdies coming home and three under isn’t a bad score, so I’m right in there,” Stenson said.

Britain’s Justin Rose, who made the first ace in Olympic history on Thursday, and France’s Gregory Bourdy each fired 69 to share fourth on 136.

“There were a lot of challenges early with the rain and the wind,” Rose said.

“I managed to settle down and play a solid round.” “It was very difficult,” Bourdy said. “I think under par in these conditions was a good score. Six under is a good start to the tournament.”

Two

Henrik Stenson has made a charge in the Olympic golf tournament.

-time Masters champion Bubba Watson had the shot of the day, the American holing out from 93 yards in the fairway for an eagle at the par-4 third. The ball bounced three times on the green, then backspun into the flagstick and dropped into the cup.

Fraser made short birdie putts at the third and par-5 fifth holes and a five-foot birdie putt at 11 put Fraser ahead by four strokes. But the Aussie was shy of the green with approaches at 12 and 16 on his way to bogeys and needed the birdie on 18 after driving the green to stay in front.

- Stenson’s prayers answered -

Stenson answered a bogey at the par-3 14th with birdies at 15, 16 and, after a bogey, at 18. But his best shot was a 90-foot par putt at the third after his tee shot found water.

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“You’re just standing there praying for a two-putt bogey and before I know it that thing found the bottom of the cup,” Stenson said. “It’s the longest putt I have made in my career.” Pieters, a 24-year-old Belgian, made two short birdie putts after making an 18-footer at the first. He ended with a tap-in birdie at 16, a 15-footer at par-3 17 and a four-footer at the par-5 18th.

Rose missed a 10-foot par putt at 15, lipped out a five-footer for birdie at 16 but sank a 12-foot birdie putt at 17 only to strand a 12-foot birdie putt on the lip of the cup at 18.

“Left a few shots out there on the last few holes,” Rose said. Shot a couple under and that keeps pace, keeps me feeling OK about things and confident heading into the weekend.”js/ea