NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, England – Dale Whitnell had an eagle and five birdies for a 7-under-64 in the second round of the British Masters to finish second on Thursday at the Close House Golf Course.
Whitnell is 10 under par halfway, a shot behind Renato Paratore (66) on the full return of the European Tour.
The 31-year-old Whitnell played alongside Tommy Fleetwood on the Walker Cup team in 2009, but had difficulty establishing himself in the professional ranks and had to take a courier job for 10 months to make ends meet.
A win on the Portugal Pro Golf Tour earned him five invitations to the Challenge Tour in 2019 and he won the KPMG Trophy last September before receiving his European Tour card from the qualifying school.
“I worked hard on my game and this course suits me because it is a bit fiddly in some places,” said Whitnell, who had earned nothing from five events in 2020 before the racetrack was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Full field results of the Betfred British Masters
“The ups and downs of the golfing profession are very interesting. You just have to try to deal with them as best you can,” said Whitnell. “I love the game, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t, and my amateur career speaks for itself.”
Justin Harding fired a brilliant 63, the lowest round of the week so far, to sit below 10 next to Whitnell.
Overnight guides David Law (69), Calum Hill (66), Ashley Chesters (66) and Rasmus Hojgaard (67) are a stroke behind.
The tournament marks the beginning of the “UK Swing” of the European Tour, a series of six events to be held in England and Wales over the next six weeks, designed to make travel easier for players in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The venues for the six events are all within a three-hour drive, eliminating the need for air travel that players have become accustomed to on the increasingly global tour. Players and caddies have been tested on arrival, must check for symptoms and do a daily temperature test.
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