Alexandra Försterling produced a round of 70 (-2) for the second consecutive day to lead the Amundi German Masters by one stroke.
The Berlin native sat in a share of fourth place overnight and began her second round from the 10th tee at Golf & Country Club Seddiner See.
It wasn’t the start she planned as she opened with a bogey, however she soon rolled in a birdie on the 16th hole.
Försterling dropped another shot on the second but had a strong finish rolling in three birdies in her final four holes to sit at the top of the leaderboard on four-under-par.
“It was really good,” said the German. “I finished strong like yesterday. I guess I really like finishing around this course. It was really windy again and I just tried to do the same as yesterday and manage through the wind and it worked out well.
“Usually what I do towards the end is say I’m going to make two more birdies and that’s what I told my coach then I did. I actually made three, maybe I should start to try to do that in the beginning too!”
Since teeing it up at this tournament in 2023, Försterling has won three LET titles and has learned to cope better with the pressure of playing on home soil.
She added: “You see the leaderboards all around, but I tend to not really look at it too much, just play my own game and have fun.
“I know that last year playing on home soil was a little bit overwhelming for me and because it was the start of the year and I think I learned a lot from last year just to stay clam with the people, have fun and concentrate on my own game and that’s what I did.”
Försterling leads the charge but there is plenty of German interest behind with Patricia Isabel Schmidt, Sandra Gal and Helen Briem all one shot further back.
The German trio sit in a tie for second place on three-under alongside LET Order of Merit leader Bronte Law of England.
Schmidt, who led after the first day, had a trickier second round shooting a 73 (+1) but is still in contention.
“It was a tough day out there, honestly, I was just getting a little nervous in the middle,” said the LET winner.
“I didn’t really play my game and I was a little focused somewhere else, but I got back on the last holes and got two birdies at the end, so that was a nice finish.
“By now I’m used to having people around me and every now and then you’re going to play in a TV group, but I haven’t been in contention too many times this year. I haven’t at all, so I welcome the pressure and the nerves, but you still get a bit nervous if you see everyone coming out and you know you’re doing well.
“It is a learning process. I feel like I struggled on 11 and 12 which are probably some of the hardest holes on the course today and no one in our group could carry the bunker and then having a 6-iron in. I think it was also the holes that came up that were quite tough to play.”
Gal had a good second day firing a 69 (-3) which included one bogey and four birdies to move herself into contention heading into the weekend in Germany.
“I’m very happy with it, I didn’t really know what to expect coming in,” said the Solheim Cup star. “I haven’t really competed in a while, it’s my second tournament back this year in two years.
“I’m very grateful that I can hit some good shots, have cameras out there and be in contention especially here in Germany. I haven’t been here since 2016, it’s been a while and I was very grateful to be able to walk and play mostly pain-free.
“It’s tricky because I still have to build up my stamina for four rounds in a row. I’m really happy to make it through two and play two really well, but I don’t take it for granted to be like I’ll just keep going, I’m obviously going to push for it and play my best and see what comes out. But it’s still really a work in progress and that’s what it feels like.”
Briem, who sits eighth in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, had an up and down day starting from the 10th tee.
The 18-year-old had a double bogey on the 11th before making a birdie on 13, she then dropped another shot on the 15th but immediately bounced back with a birdie on 16.
On her back nine, Briem went on a roll with birdies on holes one, five, six and nine for a round of 69 (-3).
Briem explained: “Obviously, it’s great. I played quite well out there today. It was a little bit easier because there was less wind so that definitely helped a lot. Today was way easier especially from the nerves point of view.
“I am usually less emotional on the golf course, that’s just the way I am and the way I play golf. I’m playing in my home country, it’s only my second LET event, it’s great.”
England’s Law back up her opening round of 71 (-1) with a round of 70 (-2) on the second day at Golf & Country Club Seddiner See.
The Order of Merit leader had seven birdies, three bogeys and one double bogey on her scorecard to put herself into contention once aagain.
“It’s been good,” said the three-time LET winner. “I played really well today, I just got really unlucky on the first couple of holes which can happen out here.
“I didn’t really do anything wrong, so just kept going and pulled it back. I was hitting a lot of good shots. I feel like some days are like that, some days you get bad luck, but I tried to make the most of it.
“It’s the gustiness, the wind changing direction, when you have a couple of yards to play with it makes it kind of tricky. You get an in-between club, and it makes it difficult to really create a shot at times, it has its challenges.”
Five players sit in a share of sixth place with France’s Celine Herbin, Spain’s Luna Sobron Galmes, Hong Kong’s Tiffany Chan, Slovenia’s Ana Belac and Morocco’s Ines Laklalech all on two-under-par.
Elsewhere Czechia’s Tereza Melecka secured her first hole-in-one as a professional acing the par-three fifth hole with a pitching wedge.
The cut fell at +5 with 66 players making it through to the weekend in Germany. The third round will begin at 8 am (local time) with the leaders teeing off at 9.53 am (local time).
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