Thriston Lawrence takes the lead in Crans-Montana

Thriston Lawrence produced an exceptional second-round 63 (-7) to take the outright lead at the Omega European Masters after 36 holes. The defending champion, who began the day just one shot off the lead, now holds a two-stroke advantage at 13 under par.

Starting from the 10th tee, the South African showed patience early on before making his first birdie of the day at the 13th. He then shifted through the gears with another birdie at the 16th before producing a spectacular run of six consecutive birdies around the turn to take control of the tournament.

Even a difficult situation at the fifth could not disrupt his momentum. After missing his approach and attempting to escape the bunker with his putter, Lawrence eventually holed his fourth shot from the sand to save par. He then finished with a string of pars to complete a bogey-free round.

“I feel like I’ve been playing nicely all year, but I’ve been unfortunate on a few occasions, missing the cut by one shot four or five times. Mentally, I feel like I’m in a better space now. Seeing birdies and seeing putts go in gives you confidence, and coming back to a place that I love gives me even more confidence.”

Already a winner at Crans-Montana in 2022 and 2025, Lawrence will head into the weekend in an ideal position as he looks to claim a third Omega European Masters title.

Behind Lawrence, Nacho Elvira produced the lowest round of the week so far with an outstanding 62 (-8). The Spaniard moved into a share of second place at 11 under par, alongside Jeremy Paul.

After a bogey at the beginning of the day, Elvira responded brilliantly with five birdies over his opening nine holes before adding four more birdies on the back nine.

It was his best performance since the Made in HimmerLand in July 2023.

“I’m very happy. I’m hitting the ball well off the tee, which I think is key here. The rough is a little more severe this year and it is very penalising. I’m just happy to give myself chances and I’m putting really well.”

Elvira particularly enjoys the Crans-sur-Sierre course, which he believes rewards precision and the ability to shape shots just as much as distance.

“I just love it here. It’s not a course where you need to be a bomber. It requires a little bit of shot shaping and you need to be very precise with your approaches. I think the course is fantastic.”

Playing in his first Omega European Masters and making just his ninth career start on the DP World Tour, Jeremy Paul also produced an impressive comeback.

After going out in 35 with two birdies and two bogeys, the German completely changed gear on the back nine, mixing four birdies with an eagle to finish with a 64 (-6).

“I played really well on the back nine and rolled in the putts on the opportunities I had. It was fantastic to turn it around and not let that little stretch get in the way of a good day.”

Keita Nakajima also carded a bogey-free 63 (-7) to move into outright fourth place at 10 under par.

The Japanese star, who also competes on the PGA TOUR, is enjoying his time in Switzerland:

“It was an awesome day. I shot 63, Nacho shot 62 and Sergio shot 63. I’m honoured to have played with Nacho and also the Masters Champion.”

At nine under par, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Ashun Wu and Paul Casey share fifth place.

Cabrera Bello has also provided one of the more unusual stories of the week. His own clubs failed to arrive in Crans-Montana on time, meaning he played the opening two rounds with a combination of clubs belonging to a club member and irons previously used by Adam Scott. He had even ranked second in the field for strokes gained approach after the opening round.

His own clubs finally arrived at the club on Friday, leaving him with a decision to make for the weekend.

With Lawrence at 13 under, Elvira and Paul at 11 under, Nakajima at 10 under and a group of players at nine under, the battle for the title remains wide open heading into the weekend.

The defending champion has, however, established a valuable early advantage and can draw on his strong knowledge of the Crans-sur-Sierre course as he continues his bid for a third title.