Portugal Masters 2015: Friday Leaderboard Scores and Highlights
Andy Sullivan’s second successive seven-under round of 64 put him in a tremendous position atop the leaderboard at the halfway point of the Portugal Masters.
The Englishman is positioned on 14 under par after Friday’s play, as he lit up the course once again on Day 2. Sullivan’s nearest challenger comes in the form of Belgium’s Thomas Pieters, who finds himself three shots back after a quality round of 66. Eduardo De La Riva and Bernd Wiesberger are also well placed on 10 under.
Here’s a recap of the leaderboard following Friday’s play and a reminder of the standout moments ahead of what’s set to be an enthralling weekend of golf.
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| 1 | Andy Sullivan | -14 | 64 |
| 2 | Thomas Pieters | -11 | 66 |
| T3 | Eduardo De La Riva | -10 | 67 |
| T3 | Bernd Wiesberger | -10 | 64 |
| T5 | Tommy Fleetwood | -9 | 64 |
| T5 | Anthony Wall | -9 | 64 |
| T7 | Thomas Bjorn | -8 | 67 |
| T7 | Trevor Fisher Jnr | -8 | 68 |
| T7 | Soren Kjeldsen | -8 | 66 |
| T7 | Chris Paisley | -8 | 67 |
Full leaderboard available via the European Tour website.
Superb Sullivan Surges into Lead
So often, players who fly out of the traps on the opening day of a tournament struggle to replicate similar standards on Day 2. But Sullivan was outstanding around the Oceanico Victoria course, carding a bogey-free round of seven under par.
The fact that there were no blemishes on the card arguably made Friday’s round even more impressive than Thursday’s, as the two-time winner on the European Tour went about putting some distance between himself and the chasing pack.
As we can see here courtesy of the European Tour’s official Twitter feed, some of Sullivan’s play was extraordinary, particularly this chip-in at the seventh:
“Seven was just ridiculous,” the 29-year-old admitted afterwards, per the European Tour’s official website. “We were just thinking to ourselves just ten feet for par would really be nice. To see it go in was a massive relief, not having to have that putt coming back.”
Having already won two titles this year, the South African Open and the Joburg Open, there’s clearly a winning mentality within Sullivan. As such, a lot of players in the hunt for the trophy here may find chasing the man from Nuneaton, England, down to be an almost insurmountable task.
After all, as we can see below, there are some very difficult areas on this course should shots go astray:
Pieters is a man who looks like he may fancy the fight. Like Sullivan, the Belgian has been serenely consistent in his two outings to date, posting a 66 on Friday after his opening 65. Playing alongside Sullivan, Pieters will be hoping he can put some early pressure on the leader and potentially put himself in contention.
Further back, it may take something a little special to move alongside the leader, but Wiesberger is a player who has remarkable hot streaks in his locker. After all, like Sullivan, he shot an impressive 64 on Friday, notching an eagle, six birdies and a bogey.
The eagle, which came at the second, was a pretty spectacular approach shot:
Other players proved there are birdies to be had on this course, with Tommy Fleetwood, Benjamin Hebert and Anthony Wall also going round in 64. Nicholas Colsaerts, who was the joint leader alongside Sullivan after Day 1, struggled to get into a rhythm on Friday, posting a level-par round of 71 to remain on seven under.
If Wiesberger, who was a little erratic on Day 1 in shooting 68, can eliminate some fundamental mistakes from his rounds, then he’s the man most likely to reel in Sullivan. He has previously shown that he can perform when the pressure in on over the weekend too, shooting 66-65 earlier in the year on Saturday and Sunday to win the Alstom Open.
Still, at the moment, Sullivan looks to be in a different class, and when he’s in this kind of groove, there are few players on the tour who can live with him. There won’t be many expecting a third consecutive 64 on Day 3, but another solid outing will provide a tremendous foundation for a glorious finish on Sunday.
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