SAM TORRANCE CONCEDES HE'S NOT GOING
MAKE IT THREE PGA SENIORS IN A ROW

By GRAEME HAMLETT
Press Officer, European Seniors Tour

Defending champion Sam Torrance admitted his hopes of winning the PGA Senior championship for the third consecutive year are over after a second round of two-over-par 74 left him on even par 144 for the tournament, 10 shots behind the joint 36-hole leaders at The Stoke-by-Nayland Club, England’s Carl Mason and Canadian Bruce Heuchan.
Following his wins in 2005 and 2006, Torrance arrived in Suffolk this week seeking to become the third player, after Ireland’s Christy O’Connor (1981-1982-1983) and England’s Neil Coles (1985-1986-1987), to win the 50 year old title three successive times.
But having started the second day well placed on two under par and, as then, three off the lead, Torrance almost contrived to miss the cut of the leading 60 players and ties after a bad front nine.
A disastrous double bogey at the fourth hole, and more dropped shots at holes seven and eight, sent him out in 40. However, coming home, the 2002 European Ryder Cup Captain birdied the par-5 14th and also the 16th hole to shoot his two over par score and finish on 144.
“It’s annoying that I had that bad front nine, especially when I’m defending and was hoping to make it three in a row, because that score puts me out of contention,” he confessed. “But I played beautifully on the back nine and that’s the sort of golf I’ll be aiming to repeat this weekend.”
He reflected: “I just got off to a bad start and it continued through the front nine. My game’s almost there – it’s just a fraction off – so hopefully it’ll click over the weekend. I don’t think I’ll catch Carl though.”
Ross Drummond, in joint fifth place after a 67 for 136, is the best placed Scottish challenger.
Bill Longmuir had a 69 for 140 and joint 13th place alongside Aberdeen's John Chillas. John had a very good second-round 68.
LEADING QUALIFIERS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
134 B Heuchan (Can) 67 67, C Mason (Eng) 67 67.
135 L Carbonetti (Arg) 69 66, C Rocca (Ita) 69 66.
136 J Bland (SAf) 70 66, R Drummond (Sco) 69 67.
138 J Rhodes (Eng) 68 70.
139 J Benda (US) 70 69, B Cameron (Eng) 68 71, N Job (Eng) 70 69, J Lapsley (Aus) 71 69, D J Russell (Eng) 69 70.
Other Scots' scores:
140 B Longmuir 71 69, J Chillas 72 69 (jt 13th).
142 M Miller 71 71 (jt 22nd).
144 S Torrance 70 74 (jt 36th).
146 M Gray 75 71 (jt 57th).


INWARD HALF KILLS RONNIE'S HOPES AGAIN

Former Kemnay club pro Ronnie McDonald, playing out of Inchmarlo since going full-time as a senior tour player, was one of eight Scots who failed to beat the cut at 146.
Ronnie had a pair of 77s for 154 and finished 108th in a field of 118. Once again Ronnie coped well with the outward half and once again it was the inward nine that floored him. He took 41 shots to come home, including a triple bogey 7 at the 10th and further shots shed at the 11th, 12th and 15th. He had two birdies all day - both at long holes, the fifth and 14th.

Scots who missed the cut:
148 G Harvey 76 72, S Martin 75 73.
149 P Kerr 72 77, C Maltman 77 72.
150 B McColl 75 75.
151 M White 71 80, R Watkins 77 74.
154 R McDonald 77 77.

ends