Thriston Lawrence leads Omega Masters after six straight birdies and two spectacular saves

Thriston Lawrence turned a strong start into a commanding lead at the Omega Masters, stringing together six consecutive birdies on Friday at Crans-sur-Sierre.

The South African, who won the tournament in 2022 and is its defending champion, followed Thursday’s six-under-par round with a seven-under 63. At 13 under par, he leads Germany’s Jeremy Paul and Spain’s Nacho Elvira by two shots after 36 holes.

Lawrence began his round on the 10th hole and produced the decisive run between the end of his front nine and the start of his back nine. The five-time DP World Tour winner has yet to make a bogey in this year’s event, preserving his advantage with two notable saves.

Sergio Garcia, a favorite on the Swiss High Plateau, carded one of Friday’s best scores at seven under and will continue into the weekend. Joel Girrbach is the only Swiss player to qualify for the final two rounds, in 16th place.