Robert MacIntyre raced into a four-shot lead at the halfway mark in the Porsche European Open after a superb 65 at Green Eagle Golf Courses, in Hamburg. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

ROBERT MacIntyre stormed into the Porsche European Open lead, firing a flawless seven-under par 65 to take a four-stroke advantage into the weekend after the second round in Hamburg.

The 23-year-old, who started the day two strokes behind 18-hole leader Paul Casey, carded the low round of the week so far at Green Eagle Golf Courses.

The Scotsman recorded three birdies on the front nine, which he matched as he came in, capping his round with his seventh gain of the day on the 18^th hole.

MacIntyre, who played for Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup at Los Angeles Country Club two years ago, said: “I just stuck to my game plan – it’s probably the best I’ve driven the ball this year.

“It’s not just going straight, it’s going miles. I don’t know what I’m doing but it’s working, and I’ll try and continue to do it,” added the Scot, who hails from Oban.

“I’ve changed quite a few things over the season to improve. Dave, my coach, is on the bag this week, he’s doing a great job off the course when I’m at home and doing the right things. It’s great to see the reward.

“It’s going to be tough, especially when it’s the first time that I’ve got such a lead – whether on the Challenge Tour or here on the European Tour – I’ll have to learn from this experience.

“I’m doing the right things on the course and the right things off the course, I’m nice and relaxed,” added MacIntyre, who was beaten in the final of the 2016 Amateur Championship by Hampshire’s Scott Gregory, who made a rare cut this week after a season of struggle for the Corhampton player, who was also a Walker Cup team-mate of the tournament leader in LA, in 2017.

“Everything at home has been brilliant, so I’m in the right mindset for going out this weekend.”

A runner-up on two occasions in his rookie season – at the Betfred British Masters and Made in Denmark in back-to-back weeks in May – this is the first time MacIntyre has held an overnight lead on the European Tour.

Leading the chasing park is Germany’s Bernd Ritthammer, who delighted the home crowds with a six-under par round of 66 to get to seven-under after 36 holes.

Ritthammer said: “I’ve had a slow season so far, it’s been tough. I’ve been working hard and not really getting any results.

“Friday for me normally has something to do with fighting the cut – I was very pleased with how I played yesterday, only one-under, but conditions were pretty brutal in the morning. That was as good as today.

“I got off to a good start and felt like I was flushing the ball, felt like it was going where I wanted to go,” added the player looking for his maiden European Tour victory.

“The putter really warmed up and I made some incredible par saves and really good birdie putts. I didn’t expect it to be that easy today, I just played really well.”

Ritthammer is two strokes ahead of the trio of Casey, Italian Guido Migliozzi and Austrian Matthias Schwab.

Bernd Wiesberger and Alexander Björk share sixth place on four-under, while German Dominic Foos is one of six players a stroke further back in eighth.

•For live scores in the third round click here.

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Paul Casey shares the lead at the Porsche European Open after a sparkling 66 in testing conditions at Green Eagles Golf’s Nord Course. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

PAUL Casey defied testing conditions at Green Eagle Golf Courses to card a stunning six-under par 66, to take a one-stroke lead into the second round of the Porsche European Open.

Surrey’s four-time Ryder Cup player carded five birdies on the back nine, adding to gains made on the first and seventh holes, to sit one stroke ahead of Austria’s Matthias Schwab, who carded a bogey-free round of five under par.

Casey who has won 12 more times since his first win on the European Tour at Gleneagles in 2001, said: “It was a really good round of golf.

“There were a couple of putts that slipped by, but that is such a difficult golf course. I was happy with the patience I was showing and the quality of strike, considering I hadn’t played well in the pro-am.

“Now I stand here happier. The score doesn’t really do it justice – that’s one of the finest rounds of golf I’ve played this year,” added the four-time Ryder Cup player.

“I prefer it when it’s hot. I’ve always been a very good driver and I’m a good long-iron player – that was demonstrated today.

“The three-iron I hit into the 14^th was good. It suits me, but it doesn’t mean I enjoy it. I like easier golf courses, but this is the Porsche European Open – it is meant to be difficult.

“I’m here for a competition and I’m here because I want to win,” said Casey, who has four top fives and four top 10s in Germany, playing in the BMW International and Linde German Masters.

Matthias Schwab, who finished tied for eighth last week in the Omega European Masters at Crans, said: “It was a very good round for me.

“It was tough conditions – rain, really strong wind and sun every now and then. I managed to adjust well, I made some good shots and made some good putts – I’m happy with my score.

“I’m happy with only one bogey on my scorecard, added the Austrian, who is still seeking his maiden European Tour victory in his second full season on Tour.

Schwab added: “I had a four-week break and that came at the right time. I took some time off and worked on my game a bit, that seems to have paid off.”

Just 22 players in the 150-man field finished their first rounds under par after battling wind and rain on the Porsche Nord Course, which is the third-longest visited by the European Tour in 2019.

Wilshire’s Brabazon Trophy winner Ben Stow set the early clubhouse lead on four-under, and was joined on that number by Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre and German Max Rottluff.

Stow, the Rushmore Park player who won the English Amateur Strokeplay in 2014 before turning pro in 2015, said: “I worked my ball really well around the golf course.

“I managed it quite well and I chipped and putted really nicely. In these types of conditions you have to chip and putt well.

“I holed some good seven/eight-footers to keep it going and made some good birdies as well,” added Stowe, who missed four months with a serious knee injury before bouncing back with his maiden Challenge Tour win in Prague last summer.

Rottluff is making just his fifth European Tour appearance this week and said: “I played solid off the tee, especially in the wind.

“Finding the fairways was keen and I rolled in a few nice putts, which was a bonus and I managed to get around with a decent score.

“I’ve been in the US for seven years now. Graduated in ’16. Every year I felt like I was getting better in every aspect of the game and off the golf course, in terms of managing myself and travelling.

“I feel like I’ve been developing nicely and to come and shoot a good score is proving to myself that I have been working in the right places.”

Australian Lucas Herbert built on his tied-eighth finish at last week’s Omega European Masters with a three-under par start in Hamburg.

He joined Sweden’s Alexander Björk and Sussex’s Ben Evans in sixth place. Thomas Pieters – winner of last month’s D+D Real Czech Masters – is one of four players four strokes behind Casey on two-under.

For live scoring in round two click here.

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