(Reuters) - Long-hitting Australian Scott Hend tamed strong winds to take the second-round lead as Tommy Fleetwood barely made the cut at the BMW International Open in Germany on Friday.
Hend, a two-times winner on the European Tour, fashioned a stellar five-under-par 67 on the Gut Laerchenhof course in Pulheim.
He posted a six-under 138 halfway total for a one-stroke lead over Swede Henric Sturehed and Nico Geyger of Chile while German Martin Kaymer joined a group two shots behind.
"When it's this windy, if you're not patient you're going to get smashed, it's as simple as that," said Hend of his conservative game plan that reaped him the equal best score of the day.
Five days after his runner-up finish at the U.S. Open, Fleetwood had his work cut out just to qualify for the final two rounds, advancing without a shot to spare.
The Englishman carded a second straight 74 to fall 10 shots behind Hend.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina, editing by Ed Osmond)
