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Fitzpatrick, Edberg share Czech Masters lead

Prague - England's former US Amateur champion Matt Fitzpatrick and Pelle Edberg of Sweden shared the lead at the halfway stage of the Czech Masters on Friday.

Fitzpatrick, just 20, carded three birdies and an eagle in a round of 67, giving him an 11 under par total.

That was matched late in the day by Edberg who likewise added a 67 to his opening 66.

Three players, Sam Hutsby and Robert Dinwiddie of England, as well as Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen, are three shots off the lead heading into the weekend at the Albatross Golf Resort.

"It was very consistent today," said Fitzpatrick, who was runner-up in Switzerland last month and has four top 10 finishes already in his rookie season.

"I played nicely and hit a lot of greens again which is always important to keep making pars and then take your chances when you have them."

Meanwhile, Vitek Novak marked his home event in style when he became the first Czech player in 21 years to make the cut at a European Tour event.

The 19-year-old amateur posted a four under par second round of 68, which included three consecutive birdies from the fourth hole, for a three under par total 141.

Jiri Janda, at the 1994 Czech Open, was the last Czech golfer to reach the weekend of a Tour event.

"I'm very happy to shoot what I did today. It's just amazing. The last Czech guy who made the cut was 21 years ago and I wasn't born," Novak told europeantour.com.

"My goal was to make the cut. I am still in the process of getting better and better, and I'm hoping to go to college in the States to help me improve."

Leading second round scores in the Czech Masters at the Albatross Golf Resort in Prague on Friday (GBR/IRL unless stated, par 72):

133 - Pelle Edberg (SWE) 66 67, Matthew Fitzpatrick 66 67

134 - Thomas Pieters (BEL) 66 68

136 - Sam Hutsby 66 70, Robert Dinwiddie 69 67, Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) 67 69

137 - Eddie Pepperell 69 68, Michael Hoey 67 70

138 - Ben Stow 72 66, Rikard Karlberg (SWE) 70 68, Renato Paratore (ITA) 65 73

139 - Craig Lee 68 71, Roope Kakko (FIN) 67 72, Damien McGrane 69 70, Jordi Garcia Pinto (ESP) 67 72, Matt Ford 71 68, Simon Griffiths 71 68, Jose Manuel Lara (ESP) 71 68, Scott Jamieson 67 72, Florian Fritsch (GER) 69 70, Connor Arendell (USA) 72 67, David Dixon 69 70, Mark Foster 67 72, Marcel Schneider (GER) 72 67

140 - Jason Barnes 69 71, Kristoffer Broberg (SWE) 67 73, Ryan Fox (NZL) 73 67, Lee Slattery 68 72, Victor Dubuisson (FRA) 72 68, Jamie McLeary 69 71, David Lipsky (USA) 71 69, Mathieu Decottignies Lafon (FRA) 71 69, Gregory Bourdy (FRA) 70 70, Bernd Ritthammer (GER) 68 72, Pedro Oriol (ESP) 67 73

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