Connor Syme in Madrid mix and also on verge of becoming a first-time dad

Syme’s wife Alana is fast approaching full term in her pregnancy, having had a “scare” less than a week ago about the baby coming early as she ended up in hospital.

Having only arrived in Madrid on Tuesday night and not exactly having his mind fully on the task at hand, Syme wasn’t sure what to expect at Club de Campo in this week’s $3.75 million event.

However, having opened with rounds of 67-68 for an eight-under-par halfway total, the 31-year-old is heading into the weekend chasing a second tour title before heading home to Scotland to become a father.

“My wife is full term on Monday, so you start to think about it a bit more at that point as so much can change,” admitted last year’s KLM Open winner after signing for five birdies in his second circuit to add to the six he made on Thursday. “Yeah, seeing how things were on Sunday and Monday when we were in hospital for a couple of nights, I am obviously thinking about her a lot, even though she is doing well.

“I’m trying to make sure she is doing absolutely hee-haw at home (smiling) so that I can get home to her (before the baby arrives). It’s obviously a really exciting time for us.”

Like Syme, Forrest isn’t worrying about battling to hold on to his card, with the duo both holding exemptions until the end of next year after victories recorded last season.

Forrest came into this week on the back of a dismal run of form but, not for the first time, having finished joint-third at this venue in both 2021 and 2024, Club de Campo is bringing out the best in the East Lothian-based player.

“It was a really good score in the end,” said Forrest of adding a 67, which contained six birdies, to his opening 66 to lead by one heading into the weekend on nine under. “I didn’t have my best stuff on the first five or six holes but made a couple of nice par saves to keep the momentum going and managed to make a few birdies as I started driving it well over the last 12 holes. Yeah, I’m delighted with four under as I probably didn’t play as well as yesterday.”

Following some rain, the course in the Spanish capital has played a bit different thus far to how it normally does, though the fairways are starting to dry out and the greens were much quicker for the second circuit.

“I checked the set up sheet this morning and saw they were almost half-a-foot quicker,” noted Forrest. “To be honest, it’s what we are used to here. I’ve been here five or six times now, so it is quite weird playing them when they are so soft and a little bit slower.

“By Sunday, I think they will dry out and they’ll speed them up again and it will be the Club de Campo that we are used to playing or close to it.”

Battling to hang on to his card, David Law made the cut for the seventh event in a row, progressing on this occasiion on one under, with Michael Stewart, buoyed by his fourth-place finish in the Dunhill Links, making it through as well on level par after picking up two birdies in his final four holes.