Langer takes pressure off Baraka

Kariem Baraka revealed some advice from his uncle and double Masters champion Bernhard Langer helped him maintain his lead in the BMW Russian Open at the Le Meridien Moscow Country Club.

The 26-year-old German began the second day with a two-shot advantage and although his one-under-par round of 71 allowed Swede Henrik Nystrom to draw level at 10 under, he is well set for the weekend.

Baraka’s only wins have been in the Italian, Luxembourg and German amateur championships so he is not that used to leading bigger tournaments but it is handy when you have a major winner and current Ryder Cup captain in the family to call on for help.

“I have been up there (leading) a few times and you just have to play your own game and see what happens in the end,” he said.

“There is no point in putting too much pressure on yourself or letting others put pressure on you.

“I have spoken to Bernhard about this before and he told me not to look at the leaderboard because anything that is on there puts you under pressure.

“If you look up and see you are two shots behind then you start to think you have to start making birdies, and then if you look up and see you are leading by five shots you will probably start to be more defensive.

“I think that is the way Bernhard does it. I don’t think he would tell me that if he didn’t believe in it himself – but what does he know, he’s only won about 70 times in his career with some majors and Ryder Cups in there as well!”

Nystrom had a round of two halves but was pleased to shoot a 66.

“It was a little strange actually because I putted so well on the front nine and holed a few long putts and then the back nine was the opposite where I started to hit the ball very close but did not hole as many putts,” he said.

“But I had no trouble out there and I just played solid golf all day and I’m in a good position for the weekend.”

Scotland’s Euan Little shot 68 to lie joint third at nine under after a bogey-free round of four birdies in which he hit every one of the 18 greens in regulation.

“It’s the first time I’ve hit 18 greens on the Tour so I’m pleased,” he said.

“I could strike the ball better and I’m not expecting to hit bad shots and if I do I’ll accept it.”

The Scotsman has employed the services of Jamil Qureshi, a former professional cricketer with Gloucestershire and magician by trade, to improve the psychological aspect of his golf and it appears to be paying off.

“Jamil called me twice on Thursday night and said ‘Don’t worry, don’t get annoyed. If you miss a putt you miss a putt, it doesn’t matter’ that’s what he kept drilling into me,” Little added.

“I can’t think of anywhere today where I struggled. I never left myself any three footers. It was position A to position B to give myself a chance and the putts were running at the hole.

“Nine under is a great place to be going into the weekend. I’m happy where I am.”

The group at eight under includes Englishmen Gary Emerson and David Griffiths and France’s Alexandre Balacki.

Dorset’s Emerson took advantage of benign early conditions to briefly go joint second after a seven-under-par 65.

He leapt from tied 57th after a producing a good run of form around the turn, having started at the 10th.

“Yesterday (a round of 71) was frustrating because I didn’t make any putts and today was a little bit the same to start with,” he said.

“I hit a lot of good shots early on without holing anything and then holed a few key putts, and got a bit of confidence and off I went.

“I’m obviously a bit disappointed at bogeying eight but I’ve got to be happy with a 65.”

Griffiths birdied the first, seventh and ninth and picked up another shot at 15 before recording his only bogey of the day at the 193-yard 16th.

However, a birdie at the par-five next helped him finish with a successive 68.

Konstantin Gribkov, one of five Russians playing in their home tournament, finished dead last on 45 over par.

Ironically, Gribkov began the tournament with a birdie on the first hole but went on to shoot 95, bettering that by only three shots today.

In 36 holes Gribkov carded seven pars, 17 bogeys and 11 double-bogeys or worse - including a 10 at the par-four 13th on day one.