Steve Palmer's Catalunya Championship second-round preview, best bets, free tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the second round of the for the Catalunya Championship at PGA Catalunya on the DP World Tour.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 1pm Friday

Best bets

Adri Arnaus to win 12.35pm threeball
1pt 13-8 bet365

Preview

Oliver Bekker set the pace on day one of the Catalunya Championship - the South African taking advantage of pleasant morning conditions to fire a six-under-par 66 at the Stadium Course.

Bekker made eight birdies, becoming 8-1 tournament favourite, having been available at 50-1 ante-post. He has won seven times on the Sunshine Tour, but is seeking a DP World Tour breakthrough at the age of 37.

A stronger breeze in the afternoon saw the later starters struggle. Bernd Wiesberger, who made his Ryder Cup debut in September and was jostling for favouritism this week, slipped over par with bogey at the par-five 12th.

Second-round threeball punters are pointed towards Adri Arnaus, who probably deserves to be a shade shorter than 13-8 to boss Nicolai Hojgaard and Haotong Li (12.35pm UK and Ireland time).
Arnaus, relishing the chance to tee up in his homeland, laid the foundations for a strong week with a Thursday 68.

Li pipped Arnaus by a shot, but the inconsistent Chinaman is getting his game together again after a long spell in the doldrums. Li may not be able to sustain his gallop.

Hojgaard has missed the cut in six of his last eight tournaments. The Dane required a chip-in on his 36th hole to make the cut in last week's ISPS Handa Championship, but ended the event tied for 71st place.

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