NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, England – Dale Whitnell had an eagle and five birdies for a 7-under 64 in the second round of the British Masters to move second at Close House Golf Course on Thursday.
Whitnell is 10 under par at the halfway stage, a shot behind Renato Paratore (66), on the European Tour's full return to action.
The 31-year-old Whitnell played on the 2009 Walker Cup team alongside Tommy Fleetwood but struggled to establish himself in the professional ranks and was forced to take on a courier job for 10 months to make ends meet.
A victory on the Portugal Pro Golf Tour earned him five Challenge Tour invites in 2019 and he won the KPMG Trophy last September before claiming his European Tour card from the qualifying school.