David GonzalezMarc Hammer retained his one-shot advantage at the Infortar Estonian Challenge after a second-round 68 that required patience, calculation and, eventually, a small negotiation with the weather.
The German reached 12 under par before darkness closed in, leaving England’s Barclay Brown one stroke behind and the tournament neatly poised for the weekend.
Hammer survives the wind before making his move
Hammer began on the back nine with the course being pushed about by strong winds. Distance control became guesswork with consequences, and his opening stretch produced two birdies and a bogey before he turned in 35.
“The front nine was pretty tough with the wind,” he said. “It took me a couple of holes to figure out how far the ball was going, but after the break there was no wind, which was nice.
“I guess we got kind of lucky there. My game felt a lot better on the back nine as well.
“It definitely felt like an opportunity after the break. It felt like you could hit more normal shots, and with no wind you can have a lot of chances if you get yourself into position.”
There was the central shift of the day. Before the suspension, Hammer was solving a moving equation. Afterwards, the wind had packed up and left the course considerably less able to defend itself.
Lightning delay changes the complexion of round two
The afternoon starters were held for more than three hours because of lightning. Several groups were unable to finish and had to return on Saturday morning, an inconvenience that golfers tend to describe calmly only once they have avoided it.
Hammer managed to resume, regroup and complete his round shortly before play was suspended for darkness. The pause could easily have interrupted his rhythm. Instead, it sharpened his opportunity.
With calmer conditions, the 27-year-old added three birdies and no bogeys over his closing nine. The 68 was not the lowest score around him, but it preserved the lead, which is generally the more useful statistic.
A late dash keeps the leader out of an early alarm call
As daylight faded, the final hole became a race against procedure as much as the clock. Hammer and his playing partners knew that getting one player under way would allow the group to complete the hole.
“We were rushing to finish,” Hammer added. “We were saying in our group we just needed one guy to tee off on the last before something goes off. We all didn’t want to wake up early in the morning.
“My approach will be the same tomorrow. Just try to play my game, stay focused, and still try to stay aggressive out there. I don’t want to change any tactics or whatever, just try to go out there and enjoy it, that’s the biggest thing.”
It was a practical finish to a peculiar day. Hammer avoided the restart, protected his advantage and earned the luxury of preparing for round three without first completing round two over breakfast.
Barclay Brown applies pressure with a 64
Brown supplied the round’s most forceful pursuit, signing for an eight-under-par 64 to reach 11 under. That moved the Englishman into outright second and ensured Hammer’s lead remained useful rather than comfortable.
Italy’s Lorenzo Scalise and the English pair John Gough and Andrew Wilson were tied at 10 under. Wilson still had three holes of his second round to complete, leaving the top of the leaderboard subject to a little Saturday-morning editing.
The position is intriguing for Hammer. He has the lead, but Brown has the fresh evidence of a low round, while three more players sit within two strokes. There is no room for defensive golf disguised as patience.
Infortar Estonian Challenge set for a crowded weekend
Round two was scheduled to resume at 08:00 local time, with the third round not beginning before 10:00. The delayed players would return to finish unfinished business before the leaders could turn their attention to the proper argument.
Hammer’s stated plan is admirably uncomplicated: no tactical reinvention, no retreat and no attempt to protect a margin too narrow to deserve protection. His second round showed why. He adapted when the wind was difficult, attacked when it vanished and finished before the light did.
At the Infortar Estonian Challenge, the weather caused the delay. Hammer made sure it did not cause the damage.
