Karlberg leads by 2 in Russia
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Rikard Karlberg carded a 4-under 68 on Friday to grab a 2-stroke lead at the end of the second round of the Russian Open.
Karlberg, who was one of three overnight leaders, finished 36 holes at Tseleevo Golf & Polo Club at 9-under-par 135.
"It was a pretty tough day out there today because the wind got really strong in the middle of the round and caused quite a few problems," said Karlberg. "I am in a great position right now but there is still a long way to go. We are only at the halfway stage and I need to keep doing what I have been doing and making birdies to have a chance."
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Wen-chong Liang also held a share of the first-round lead and shot a 2-under 70 during his second round to move into a tie for second place with Alexandre Kaleka (67), Michael Hoey (67) and Matthew Baldwin (69) at 7-under.
Mark Foster (69) owns sole possession of sixth at 6-under 138, while Scott Hend (69), Matthew Nixon (70), Mikko Korhonen (70) and James Morrison (71) occupy seventh at minus-5.
Karlberg started on the back nine and raced out of the gate with four birdies over his first six holes to move to 9-under, grabbing the outright lead from Liang, Baldwin and Kaleka, who all went out with the morning wave and set the clubhouse mark.
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Karlberg tripped to bogeys at the 18th and fifth to fall out of sole possession of first place, but reclaimed the outright lead with a birdie at the sixth.
He regained his 2-stroke cushion with a gain at the eighth and closed with a par at the last to end at 9-under.
Liang was the first of the overnight leaders to head out onto the course and opened his second round with a bogey at the 10th, but bounced right back with a birdie at the 11th.
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After parring his next four holes, he birdied the 16th to make the turn at 6- under for the tournament.
He countered a gain at the second with a bogey at the fourth to remain there before picking up another shot at the eighth to stay on top of the leaderboard at 7-under until Karlberg surpassed him later in the day.
"I am very happy with the score because the conditions were a lot tougher than yesterday afternoon," Liang said. "This morning it was cold and wet and the wind was really difficult to manage, so to shoot 2-under is a good result for me this morning."
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Baldwin also started on the back nine and recorded birdies at Nos. 10, 13 and 15 to highlight an outward 33.
He fell back to 1-under for the day with bogeys at the third and fifth, but closed with birdies at the sixth and ninth to meet Liang at 7-under.
Kaleka recorded four birdies over his first eight holes before tripping to his second double-bogey 6 in the past two days at the 12th to fall back to 4-under for the tournament.
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The Frenchman then reeled off three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the 14th to reach 7-under.
Hoey rolled in birdies at the first, second, fourth and eighth to make the turn at 6-under.
He then played his back nine at 1-under by countering birdies at Nos. 11, 13, 15 and 17 with bogeys at the 12th, 14th and 16th to finish two shots off the pace.
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NOTES: Simon Dyson, who was the third co-leader at the end of the first round, tripped to a 2-over 74 on Friday to fall into a tie for 12th at 3-under-par 141 ... Karlberg is playing in his 50th European Tour event despite never securing a full playing card ... He is seeking his first career win on tour ... The cut line was set at 4-over-par 148, with 68 players advancing to the weekend.