Charl Schwartzel part of three-way tie for European Open lead

Charl Schwartzel, Graeme Storm and Ross Fisher are tied at the top of the leaderboard after the second round of the European Open.

Schwartzel, without a win in two years, set the clubhouse lead at 10 under after carding a bogey-free 66 at Golf Resort Bad Griesbach in south-east Germany, only to be matched late on by Storm and Fisher, who shot a joint-low round-of-the-day 65.

Beginning on the back nine, the South African followed a birdie at the par-four 12th with four more gains after the turn and also holed an impressive chip-in par save at the second.

"It's nice to play some consistent golf," Schwartzel said. "I've been feeling like I'm going to play well for a while, knocking on the door, but not had the momentum go my way.

"This time around, I've kept it together nicely. I've hit lots of greens, given myself lots of opportunities and made a few putts, which helps.

"The putting is getting better. I've been hitting lots of putts where it has missed by the time you hit it."

A chip-in eagle from the 10th fairway parachuted Storm in to a share of the lead, while Fisher made three gains in the space of five holes on the back nine before adding another from four feet at the 16th.

Late starter Richard McEvoy looked set to make it a four-way tie at the top when he followed an eagle-three at the tenth with three straight gains from the 12th, but a blemish at the last leaves him one shot off the pace alongside Byeong Hun An. 

Johan Edfors birdied four of his final five holes to join Darren Fichardt on eight under, while Jamie Donaldson posted a blemish-free round to be part of a large group a further stroke back.

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"I'm pretty happy. I played pretty solid the first two days," Donaldson said. "Yesterday I played really well and today was pretty good but I couldn't make many putts.

"I wasn't quite hitting my iron shots close enough to the flag though. But overall I'm pretty happy."

Max Kieffer extended his record of cuts made this season to 22 by not dropping a shot in his three-under 68, while veteran Bernhard Langer safely made it through to the weekend with a level-par 71.

Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell arguably produced the shot of the day, holing out from 100 yards on the 13th for a par after twice tangling with heavy rough.

McDowell added a 70 to his opening 68 to finish four under par, just one shot inside the cut line on another day of low scoring.

Overnight leader Bernd Wiesberger, the highest ranked player in the field, plummeted down the leaderboard and missed the cut after a bogey-filled 76, with Hunter Mahan also making an early exit and matching the Austrian's score after carding two double-bogeys and a triple-bogey during an error-strewn round.

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