Callum Tarren holds a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship after overcoming a challenging start to post a stunning second-round 67.
Tarren’s Resilient Performance
The Englishman entered the second round at eight under par following a flawless 64 on Thursday. However, he faced early difficulties on Friday, dropping a shot at the opening hole and adding another bogey on the fourth.
Tarren quickly recovered with four birdies in his next five holes, making the turn in 34 shots. His momentum continued on the back nine, where he picked up further birdies at the 11th, 13th, and 14th holes, finishing the day at 13 under par.
“I got off to a shaky start today, but I knew I was playing good golf, so I just stayed patient,” said Tarren. “A few bounce-back birdies, and I played really solid again. So just more of that tomorrow and see what happens.”
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Challengers in Pursuit
Tarren’s nearest competitors are Italy’s Andrea Pavan and England’s Dan Brown, both sitting at 11 under par. Spain’s Pablo Larrazábal follows closely at 10 under after an impressive hole-in-one on the second hole.
Pavan set the early clubhouse lead with a round of 65, carding eight birdies and a single bogey. Brown matched that score in the afternoon with a bogey-free round.
“Yesterday was tricky in the afternoon, but I managed to shoot four under,” said Pavan. “Today, I had a very good start. It was not as windy, the greens were softer, and I took advantage of that. I played well, did everything pretty well. Just a blip on the last, but it is what it is.”
Tarren’s Road to the Lead
Starting the day three shots off the lead, Tarren initially slipped further behind with bogeys at the first and fourth holes. However, he bounced back in style with birdies at the fifth, sixth, eighth, and ninth holes, putting himself just one shot off the lead at the turn.
A three-foot birdie at the 11th saw him join the lead on 11 under, before capitalising on the two par fives at the 13th and 14th to move two shots clear. He then held steady with crucial par saves at the 15th and 16th before closing with pars at the final two holes for a solid 67.
Reflecting on his round, Tarren said, “I misjudged the wind on one and ended up against the fence. I could hit it, but it was against a rock, so I didn’t want to risk it. I just told myself to ride out the tough start because there were plenty of chances out there.
“There were a couple of shots in the middle of the round where I hit it to two feet and a foot with my nine iron and wedge. The par save on 16 kept the momentum going. Shame about the last missed birdie chance, but I’m ready to tackle the weekend.
“I’ve got to keep the foot on the gas because this course will yield birdies for the guys behind me. Just need to keep doing what I’m doing and stay patient. I feel very relaxed this week for some reason, I don’t know why. I just feel super chilled, so hopefully, that’s a good omen.”
Looking Ahead
With the competition heating up, Tarren will look to maintain his lead going into the weekend, while his closest rivals aim to close the gap. Stay tuned for more updates as the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship unfolds.
