34th BMW International Open: Hillier in the lead, 13 German players still in action over the weekend.

Two questions were paramount during the second round of the BMW International Open at the Golfclub München Eichenried. How would the players cope with conditions that were much gustier than on Thursday, and who would make the cut? Michael Hirmer (GER) and Joost Luiten (NED) proved that it was still possible to post a good score, as both went round in just 66 strokes for the best results of the day. Luiten picked up two shots on the eighth hole alone: he chalked up a hole-in-one with a 6 iron from 185 metres. That was the second hole-in-one of the tournament, repeating the feat achieved yesterday by Japan’s Takumi Kanaya at the 12th hole. However, the tournament has not yet seen a hole-in-one at the 17th, meaning that the Hole-in-One Prize, the first-ever fully-electric BMW i5, still awaits a new owner.

Daniel Hillier (NZL, -9) produced a round of 67 to move to the top of the leaderboard, followed by Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen from Denmark (-8), who also carded a round of -5 at his first tournament on the DP World Tour. Luiten (-7) is heading into the weekend in third position.

It is clear that Hillier feels totally at ease during his week at the BMW International Open, and not just because of the position he has reached. “From the hospitality to the course conditions, everything is just amazing here at the BMW International Open. And the infrastructure to accommodate all the spectators is awesome, you almost get a Major feeling here,” said the New Zealander.

One stroke further back, Marc Hammer and Marcel Schneider are two of the players tied for fourth place at 6 under par. The two best-placed German players have their sights firmly set on the top of the leaderboard and are extremely well placed for the weekend. Marcel Siem (-5) should also not be ruled out, having played a great round of 68 today.

Schneider had an explanation for his good result: “I love to play in front of the people: the more that come out, the better it is for me. I’m really enjoying it and it gives me an extra push. I hope that the weekend will see just as many spectators out there, or even a few more than in the first two rounds.”

German golf fans have 13 home players to look forward to at the weekend. Hammer, Schneider and Siem will also be joined by Max Schmitt (-4), Hurly Long (-3), Thomas Rosenmüller (-2), Matti Schmid (-2), Philipp Mejow (-1), Max Kieffer (-1), Michael Hirmer (-1), Jannik de Bruyn (even par), Velten Meyer (even par) and Jonas Baumgartner (AM, even par), all of whom made the cut.

The pros noted no fewer than 16 eagles on their Friday scorecards, taking the overall total to 38. For each eagle at the BMW International Open, the BMW Group is donating 1,000 Euro to the “JOBLINGE” and “Kick ins Leben” organisations, in recognition of their many years of cooperation with the BMW Group as they work towards fair opportunities and educational equality.

Hoatong Li (CHN, +13) will not be able to defend his title. Last year’s winner missed the cut, as did the German players Nicolai von Dellingshausen (+1), Nick Bachem (+1), Sebastian Heisele (+3), Freddy Schott (+4), Tim Wiedemeyer (AM, +4), Anton Albers (+5), Alex Cejka (+10) and Alexander Knappe (+11).

Pierre Pineau (FRA) and Rasmus Hojgaard (DEN) are also out of contention after withdrawing due to injury on Friday, while Oliver Hundebøll (DEN) was disqualified after signing an incorrect scorecard.

The third round of the BMW International Open at the Golfclub München Eichenried starts on Saturday morning at 7:15. The PDF document (“Tee times”) contains an overview of all tee times and groups.

You can find the current scores, more information about the BMW International Open and a livestream at www.bmw-golfsport.com