The Rojigualda flies proudly at the summit of the leaderboard of the KLM Open, as two Spaniards lead at the halfway point in the Netherlands. Veteran Miguel Angel Jimenez, who led after Thursday, shot a second round of 67 to retain that position, but he was joined by compatriot Pablo Larrazabal who followed his 65 from the opening day with a 66 on Friday on the magnificent Kennemer Golf and Country Club.
Jimenez, who became the oldest winner in the 41 year history of the European Tour in Hong Kong last November, followed his scintillating round of 64 from day one, with a blemish free 67. 16 pars and three birdies were the noted down on the 49-year-old’s scorecard, as he seeks a 20th victory on the Tour, and stunningly a 13th since turning 40 back in 2004.
“This course suits me,” said Jimenez, who won the Dutch Open back in 1994. “It's not a very long course but you have to have the ball in position.”
Kennemer is a highly regarded layout, rated among the best in continental Europe, and it compliments a whole region of fantastic golf courses that includes the likes of The Hague and Hilversumsche.
It’s a course that seems to fit the 19-time European Tour winner’s eye, as he looks to build on his fourth placed finish in Switzerland last week.
“I like this kind of links course and I feel very comfortable with my game.
”I didn’t manage to get the win in Switzerland last week, but maybe this week it will be my turn - I hope so.”
Also hoping for victory this weekend for Pablo Larrazabal, who briefly took the outright lead in the tournament, after playing his opening 12 holes in five-under, before dropping a shot at the 16th. However, he still went round in an excellent four-under total, and the 30-year-old will be hoping to claim his third victory on the Tour this weekend.
“I'm happy, I'm hitting the ball as good as ever. I don't know how many putts I missed today on that back nine.
”But I am on top of the leaderboard at the moment, the conditions were not good this afternoon, it was raining all the way so I am very happy with my game.”
Larrazabal came into this week on the back of six consecutive missed cuts, but he has clearly found his game once again, and the confident Spaniard is looking forward to playing alongside his more experience compatriot on Saturday.
“It's always good, we spend many practice rounds together, maybe 95 per cent we play together. We know each other well and have a lot of fun. We have a lot of dinners together.”
England’s Oliver Fisher and France’s Julien Quesne are one shot back at 8-under after rounds of 65, alongside the ominous name of three-time KLM Open champion Simon Dyson, who shot through the field after a sensational round of 63.
Dyson matched the course record at Kennemer, with a round beautiful scorecard of seven birdies and eleven pars. Two of Dyson’s three victories in the Netherlands have occurred on this course, and barring a double bogey at the first hole on Thursday, the Englishman would have held the outright lead at this stage.
“I've done well in previous years and played well around it today,” Dyson said. “I played really solid apart from the last two holes and never looked like making bogey.
”I hit a poor tee shot on the eighth, which was my 17th, and the lie determined the shot I had to play. I had quite a lot of room to pitch it on the green but had a terrible lie so had to play a little bump and run, a proper links shot, and managed to play it well.
”On the last I didn't quite strike the chip as I wanted to but it was nice to roll the putt in and have a bogey-free round.”
Another Spaniard, this time in the shape of Jorge Campillo, was in position to set a new course record of 62, before a disappointing three-putt bogey on the 18th saw him settle for a 63.
The Spaniards are dominating the leaderboard, as they look to join the likes of Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal in claiming titles in the Netherlands. Miguel Angel Jimenez is seeking a stunning 20th title on the European Tour, but the name of three-time champion Simon Dyson remains ominous with two rounds left in this historic event that dates all the way back to 1912.