SOLHEIM CUP SKIPPER HELEN
CADDIES FOR HUSBAND AT
EUROPEAN SENIORS Q SCHOOL

By STEVEN FRANKLIN
European Seniors Tour Press Officer
(sfranklin@europeantour.com)


Sweden's Helen Alfredsson, pictured right, an 11-time winner on the Ladies European Tour and Europe’s Solheim Cup Captain for 2007, tasted life as a caddy when she carried husband Kent Nilsson’s bag in the first round of the European Seniors Tour Qualifying School Finals on the Algarve today.
The 72- hole qualifying school for the over-50 pros got underway at Pestana Golf Resort and while Emilio Rodriguez of Spain was rolling back the years to lead with a four under par 67, Nilsson finished well placed after a round of 70.

“I played okay today and it certainly helped having Helen with me. She has been fantastic – I get the right clubs all the time,” admitted Nilsson.

The Swede, a former professional ice hockey player in the NHL in America, has been learning from Alfredsson in a bid to carve a second career as a professional golfer – and the work seems to be paying dividends.

After crashing out of last year’s European Seniors Tour Qualifying School at the First Stage, Nilsson showed considerable improvement in finishing tied third at Pinheiros Altos on Friday to book his place in this week’s finals over the par 71 Pinta Course at Pestana.

Alfredsson explained: “Kent was such a talented hockey player but with golf he had to learn that it’s not about testosterone. Hockey is so fast that you don’t have time to think, while golf is different. You have to think about many things: how the ball is lying ... what club to use ... the weather conditions.
“When I first met him he thought he was the Jack Nicklaus of his home course. He has improved a lot since then and benefits from the fact that we play together with some great players, such as (US PGA Tour player) Billy Andrade and other good friends.”
STEVE MARTIN TOP SCOT
Steve Martin from Dundee was the only Scot who could look back on his first round with any degree of please. The former Tartan Tour player, who played for a short spell on the European Tour in his 20s, had a one-under-par 70 to be sharing seventh place.
But Bill McColl, Russell Weir and amateur Brian Smith are in joint 60th place on the 77 mark.
David Chillas is last of 75 at the moment after an 82.
Kemnay club pro Ronnie McDonald failed to survive last week's Stage 1 qualifying at Pinheiros Altos where he shot 80 and 78 for 14-over-par 158, finishing joint 31st at that venue.

LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES

Pinta Course, Pestana Golf Resort
Par 71

67 Emilio Rodriguez (Spa).
69 David Merriman (Aus), Donald Stirling (Aut), Bill Malley (US), Stewart Graham (Eng), Terry Dill (US).
70 Tim Rastall (Eng), Kent Nilsson (Swe), Steve Martin (Sco), Luis Gallardo (Esp), Neville Clarke (SAf), Malcolm Edmunds (Wal), John Mashego (SAf), Tim Huyton (Eng), Mark Fernando (am) (US).
71 Jean Pierre Sallat (Fra), Bill Hardwick (Can), John Curtis (Ire), Rigoberto Velasquez (Col), Rick Uhlir (US), Phillippe Dugeny (Fra)
72 Alex Romanoff (US), Martin Foster (Eng), Jan Dorrestein (Net), Mitch Thomas (US).
73 Torsten Giedeon (Ger), John Benda (US), Alan Mew (Tri), Jim Carson (US), Tony Price (Wal), Anders Johnsson (Swe).
74 Mike Inglis (Eng), Peter Barber (Eng), T R Jones (US), Francisco Abreu (Spa), Terry Hanson (Eng), Mariano Aparicio (Esp), Gavin Slabbert (US), Ivan Renjifo (Col), Dermot W Morris (am) (Ire), Jim Lapsley (am) (NZ).
75 Robin Mann (Eng), David Lavallee (Can), Mike Gallacher (Eng), Michael G Wolseley (NI), Mike Williams (Zim), Martin Morbey (Eng), Mike Ferguson (Aus), Chuck Milne (US), Harry Ferguson (Can), Tyrone Carter (am) (Eng).
76 Tony Feminis (US), Ricardo Ronderos (Col), Jimmy Montecinos (US), Adriano Mori (Ita), Danny Garcia (Mex), Keith Robson (Eng), Billy Todd (NI), Armando Saavedra (Arg).
77 Bill McColl (Sco), Russell Weir (Sco), Nigel Willett (Eng), Miguel Angel Arcuci (Arg), Kalle Drotz (Swe), Norman Bennett (Eng), Brian Smith (am) (Sco).
78 Butch Butler (US), Tomas Persson (Swe), Gordon Townhill (Eng), Willie Hickson (US).
80 Victor Garcia (Spa), George Green (US), Sigurour Hafsteinsson (Ice).
81 Neil Wall (Aus).
82 David Chillas (Sco).