Staff WriterAdrien Saddier turned the Omega European Masters into his personal endurance test on Friday, rattling off rounds of 62 and 65 to set the clubhouse lead at 13-under-par after a marathon day in the Swiss Alps.
Fog delays on Thursday meant the Frenchman had to squeeze 36 holes into one long shift at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club. He didn’t just survive it—he thrived, producing an eagle, a bucket of birdies, and just a single bogey across two rounds that left him perched on top of the leaderboard.
“I’m pretty happy. It was a long day, to be honest,” Saddier admitted. “I got a good start this morning—the momentum was good on the first nine and then I just kept holing the putts.
I really love this course and this place; I cherish it a lot. I’ve been good with the altitude as it could be a problem here but it has been good. It was a good day and we like this kind of day. It was just nice to finish with a birdie.”
Wallace in Hot Pursuit
Defending champion Matt Wallace sits just one shot back after carding rounds of 65 and 63. The Englishman described his day as “three great nines,” salvaging a scratchy morning before catching fire in the afternoon.
“I managed to get it round and then I found something on the back nine. I played really nicely this afternoon,” Wallace said. “I said to myself a few times out there today that I’m the defending champion so let’s try to keep it that way.”
Wallace’s countryman Jordan Smith and South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence lurk just a shot further behind at 11-under. Smith, who has endured his fair share of close calls this season, is banking on persistence finally paying off.
“Overall, really happy with how I played over the two rounds and how today has gone,” Smith said. “We have had quite a lot of close calls this year and if we just keep putting ourselves in those positions it’s eventually going to happen.”
A Farewell in the Mountains
The Omega European Masters also doubled as a goodbye party for Mike Lorenzo-Vera, who brought down the curtain on his career in his 285th DP World Tour start.
The 40-year-old Frenchman signed off with a second-round 75 and, fittingly, did it surrounded by the Alpine views he loved. A popular figure inside the ropes and out, Lorenzo-Vera had quietly announced his retirement in April and chose the Swiss mountains for his final bow.
Looking Ahead
With play suspended at 20:05 local time due to encroaching darkness, plenty of groups will resume their second rounds at 07:40 on Saturday morning. Round three isn’t expected to start before 14:30, meaning the weekend could yet shuffle the deck before Saddier, Wallace, and company settle things.
For now, though, the Omega European Masters leaderboard has a French flag on top—and Adrien Saddier, altitude and all, looks ready to keep it there.
