Karlsson nursing a sore head

Robert Karlsson was today hoping his run of bad luck had come to an end, albeit a painful one, in the Lancome Trophy.

The Swede added a second-round 69 to his opening 68 at St Nom La Breteche, despite being struck on the head by a ball on the sixth hole.

The 33-year-old was standing over an eagle putt on the par five when he was hit by a wild tee shot from compatriot Anders Forsbrand, who was playing the fourth hole.

Karlsson was stunned by the blow but after a 20-minute rest and a couple of painkillers was able to continue, two-putting for birdie and playing the remaining 12 holes in two under to finish five under at halfway, seven behind leader Maarten Lafeber.

“I felt like I played the rest of the round after having a couple of beers,” Karlsson said. “I saw stars when it hit me but it worked out better for both of us because Anders’ ball was heading for the bunker before it hit me.”

Instead the ball landed on the green and Forsbrand went on to make a par four, although he did eventually miss the cut.

Forsbrand could perhaps have had something of an excuse if he had not been playing with his own clubs, but in fact that was the unfortunate Karlsson’s fate in the first round after having his stolen in Scotland on Sunday and struggling to get a replacement set through customs in Paris.

“They say bad things happen in threes so I wonder what’s going to happen next,” he added.

In fact, being hit on the head may have been the third piece of bad luck, as Karlsson missed the cut in the Dunhill Links Championship last week after bending his putter in anger during the second round.

After missing a short putt he threw the offending club at his bag which bent it out of shape, and not being allowed to repair it, putted for the rest of the round with a two iron and carded a 79.

Lafeber had no such problems and in fact credited his second consecutive 65 to a stroke of good luck, holing a bunker shot on the 18th, his ninth, for a birdie.

The 27-year-old Dutchman carded five more coming home for a 12-under halfway total which gave him a two-shot lead over first-round leader Alex Cejka and put him in pole position to gain his first tour victory.

“I was just trying to keep it on the green because it could have rolled into the water but it went in for a birdie,” Lafeber said. “From then on I played a bit more freely and took my chances.”

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