MUNICH, Germany -- Miguel Angel Jimenez fired a 6-under 66 on Friday to move into the lead after Round 2 of the BMW International Open. Jimenez’s 36-hole total of 10-under-par 134 left him one shot clear of reigning U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen and David Lynn.
Fredrik Jacobson, who has an outside shot of making the European Ryder Cup team with a strong performance this week, helped his chances with a 65 in the second round. Jacobson was joined by Markus Brier in a tie for fourth at 8-under-par 136.
Jimenez has already won three times on the European Tour this season and has also locked up a spot on Bernhard Langer’s European Ryder Cup squad. The veteran Spaniard still has plenty to play for, however.
‘I hope I keep on the same form,’ said Jimenez. ‘At the moment I’m working very well.’
Colin Montgomerie, who is considered a favorite for one of Langer’s captain’s picks, continued to play well with a 70 in the second round. Montgomerie finished alongside John Daly, Anders Hansen, Soren Kjeldsen and Bradley Dredge at 7-under-par 137.
Paul McGinley, who is trying to secure his spot in the Ryder Cup, joined Paul Casey, Alex Cejka, Thomas Levet, Mark Roe, Carlos Rodiles, Tino Schuster, Henrik Stenson, Ivo Giner and Johan Edfors in a tie for 11th at 6-under-par 138.
Jimenez picked up his first birdie of the day at the par-3 second at Golfclub Munchen Nord-Eichenried and added another at the par-5 sixth. He then birdied the ninth and moved to 8 under with a birdie at the 11th.
At the par-3 12th, Jimenez knocked his tee shot inside 4 feet and converted the short birdie putt to grab a share of the lead.
Jimenez parred his next five holes before reaching the green in two at the par-5 18th. His eagle try ran by the hole, but Jimenez rolled in the birdie putt coming back to take the outright lead in the clubhouse.
Lynn, who won the KLM Open three weeks ago, started on the back side and struggled out of the gate with a bogey at the 10th. He recovered quickly with a birdie at the 12th and made it two in a row with a birdie at the 13th.
The Englishman drained a 14-foot putt for a birdie at the par-5 18th. He then hit his second shot to 9 feet for a birdie at the fourth and tallied another birdie at the sixth en route to a round of 68.
‘I’ve been playing solid all year,’ said Lynn. ‘I mean, for a few years now, I’ve been playing pretty consistently. I just do my own thing, really.’
Goosen, who is playing for the first time since suffering an injury in a jet-ski accident while on vacation with his family about a month ago, held the overnight lead but found trouble early with a bogey at the fourth.
The South African responded with a birdie at the sixth but gave that shot back with a bogey at the very next hole. Goosen got things rolling again at the ninth, however, and ran home a 20-footer for an eagle to get to 7 under around the turn.
Goosen added a birdie at the 11th and sank a long birdie putt at the 14th for a share of first. He faltered to a bogey at the 17th, but closed his round with a birdie at the last to finish one shot off the lead after a 69.
Jacobson has split time on the PGA Tour in what has been a very busy 2004 for the Swede, who took time off earlier in the year for the birth of his first child. The 29-year-old could solidify his hectic year with a victory and a place in the Ryder Cup.
‘If it goes your way and you win one, that’s great,’ said Jacobson, who won three times on the European Tour in 2003. ‘If I win one before the year is over, I will consider it a very, very good year for me. It still is, no matter what happens the rest of the year.’
Jacobson started on the 10th and collected a pair of birdies over his first five holes. He missed the green with his second shot at the par-5 ninth, but chipped in for an eagle from off the putting surface to move to minus-5.
He added back-to-back birdies starting at the second and looked to be in trouble after his second shot found the water at the par-5 sixth. Jacobson took a drop and played his fourth shot to 12 feet before calmly rolling in the par-saving putt. Jacobsen then closed his round on a high note with a birdie at the ninth.
‘I don’t think anybody has heard anything or is promised anything this year for the Ryder Cup,’ said Jacobson, who is currently 12th on the Ryder Cup European Points List. ‘We are all playing for it. We are all trying to prove ourselves to be the man to pick or the man to make the team. I mean, it’s the last call this week.’
The 36-hole cut fell at even-par 144 with 83 players making the weekend. Among the unfortunate were Jean-Francois Remesy and Brian Davis, whose Ryder Cup hopes have all but faded as they missed the cut.
Related Links:
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up