Lipsky lurks as Ramsay holds lead at Omega European Masters

David Lipsky of the United States stayed close to Scotland’s Richie Ramsay by posting a second round six-under-par 64 to take a share of fifth place at the €2.3 million (approximately US$3 million) Omega European Masters on Friday.

Lipsky, a one-time Asian Tour winner who also topped the class at the 2012 Qualifying School, trails overnight leader Ramsay by three shots with the Scott remaining as the man to catch after he signed for a 66.

Ramsay continued to lead the Swiss showpiece with his two-day total of 12-under-par 128 after Wales’ Jamie Donaldson carded a 64 to take second place while American Brooks Koepka and Northern Ireland’s Graeme Storm are in third place on 130.

Lipsky arrived at the Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club on a back of a good run of form that included a tied-second finish in Singapore as well as two top-20 finishes in Denmark and the Czech Republic.

He finished in a share of 59^th place at the Omega European Masters in 2012 but missed the cut the following year.

However with a wealth of experience under his belt and a dedicated training program, the Korean-American is pleased his efforts are paying off.

“The greens are very tricky and with the elevation, it’s hard to guess the distance but it’s my third year here and I’m getting used to it.

I’ve been working on my game all summer and I’m seeing my results these past couple of weeks and all the hard work that I’ve put in. If I keep getting better, I’ll end up where I want to be,” said Lipsky.

Lipsky, who is currently in third place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, will head into the weekend rounds in confident mood.

“I don’t try to put that pressure on myself. I just try to play my own game. I’m playing well right now so it’s pretty good. 

I’m really enjoying myself here. The views are fantastic, the course is in great shape and I’m feeling happy,” said Lipsky.

Despite the rain pelting down on the course early in the morning, Ramsay continued to impose himself with another performance that brought back memories of his Omega European Masters victory in 2012.

“I’ve got a lot of experience in this tournament, and I’ve got some experience of leading at the halfway stage. So whether I’m leading going into tomorrow or just off the pace, it won’t affect me too much because I know I’m playing well,” said Ramsay.

“The rain made life a bit trickier and the temperature also dropped, which made distance control difficult. So it was definitely harder than yesterday, but I stayed steady and my attitude was good again, so overall it was another good day’s work,” added the Scott.

Ramsay will have to be wary of Donaldson, who was in rampant form as he charged into contention by firing seven birdies against one bogey.

“I played well again today, especially on the front nine. I probably could’ve gone one or two shots lower today, but as golfers always say that. We’re never happy! Overall, I’ve got to be very happy with the way I played and the position I’m in,” said Donaldson.

The weekend cut was set at one-under par with a total of 82 players making it into the weekend rounds.

The Omega European Masters is the only tournament on European soil to be jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour since 2009 and marks the start of the second half of the Asian Tour season.

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