WHITEFORD SLIPS 10 SHOTS BEHIND RECORD-SETTING
MIKAEL LUNDBEG WITH ONE ROUND TO GO IN ITALY
FROM RODDY WILLIAMS
Press Officer, European Challenge Tour
Peter Whiteford’s hopes of a third Challenge Tour victory of the season took a severe dent after the Scot’s two over par 73 at La Pavoniere Golf and Country Club in Tuscany left him trailing Sweden’s Mikael Lundberg by 10 strokes going into the final round of the Toscana Open Italian Federation Cup.
Lundberg rewrote the record books with a nine-under-par third-round of 62 for 18-under-par 195.
Whiteford was just one stroke off the lead at the halfway stage but a triple bogey 7 on the second hole saw him fall back into the pack. Although he battled back with four birdies, he also dropped a further three shots to the card to lie at eight under par 205.
Whiteford has won two of the last three events on the Challenge Tour to climb to 13th on the Rankings and is looking for a strong final two weeks of the season to move into the top ten.
Lundberg’s sensational course record took him to 18 under par 195 and seven clear of Finland’s Toni Karjalainen in the penultimate event of the 2007 Challenge Tour season.
Overnight leader Robert Dinwiddie of England fired a one over par 72 to lie in a share of third place on 203 alongside compatriot Robert Coles (70), Finn Roope Kakko (69) and Argentina’s Julio Zapata (67).
The 34 year old Lundberg, winner of the 2005 Russian Open on The European Tour, currently lies 16th on the Challenge Tour Rankings with the top 20 after next week’s Apulia San Domenico Grand Final earning a place on The 2008 European Tour. Victory would lift him into the top 10 and main certain of a return to the top flight.
For 14 holes, Lundberg simply couldn’t miss as he rolled in ten birdie putts from all angles to pull well clear of the field. Thoughts of a 59 inevitably started to enter his head and when he failed to make birdie from a relatively simple up and down on the 15th, he lost momentum and dropped his only shot of the day on the 16th. But he regrouped to par the last two to maintain a huge lead with a round that was an incredible five strokes better than anyone else in the field.
“I didn’t feel I played that well from tee to green but putted like a god,” said Lundberg. “Putts went in from everywhere. It is by far the best round I have had with the putter.”
Among his ten birdies, three huge putts stood out, from 20 metres on the fourth, 15 metres on the fifth and ten metres on the 14th. But it was a missed birdie putt from just two metres on the 15th that halted his charge.
“I was just trying to stay out of my own way and let things keep happening,” he added. “It is nice when all the things you have been working on come good. I was thinking this is what Tiger Woods feels like on the greens.
“Of course, when I started thinking about it over the last three holes and started trying, it went a little wrong but it was good to par the last as that is a tough hole.”
Despite taking a seven stroke lead into the final round, Lundberg is determined not to be complacent.
“It is nice to have that lead but anyone can shoot a course record tomorrow. Hopefully my experience will help. I really want to get back on The European Tour and if I can do that tomorrow that will mean a great deal.”
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 213 (3 x 71)
195 Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 66 67 62
202 Toni Karjalainen (Fin) 67 67 68
203 Roope Kakko (Fin) 66 68 69, Julio Zapata (Arg) 72 64 67, Robert Dinwiddie (Eng) 68 63 72, Robert Coles (Eng) 67 66 70
205 Stephen Browne (Irl) 68 69 68, Peter Kaensche (Nor) 67 67 71, Tim Milford (Eng) 72 64 69, Peter Whiteford (Sco) 68 64 73
206 Eric Ramsay (Sco) 71 67 68, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 68 67 71, Antti Ahokas (Fin) 71 66 69, Andrew Butterfield (Eng) 71 68 67
207 Inder Van Weerelt (Ned) 69 69 69, Gareth Maybin (NIrl) 71 67 69, Ross Mcgowan (Eng) 71 67 69, Lorenzo Gagli (Ita) 70 69 68, Iain Pyman (Eng) 71 68 68
208 Jan-Are Larsen (Nor) 69 71 68, Juan Abbate (Arg) 68 73 67, Martin Wiegele (Aut) 70 67 71, Ben Mason (Eng) 70 67 71, Peter Fowler (Aus) 68 69 71, Adam Gee (Eng) 70 68 70, George Murray (Sco) 69 68 71, Tobias Dier (Ger) 67 68 73
209 Matthew Richardson (Eng) 70 70 69, Alvaro Salto (Spa) 68 72 69, David Horsey (Eng) 69 70 70, Mikko Korhonen (Fin) 71 69 69
210 Gustavo Rojas (Arg) 68 71 71, Gareth Davies (Eng) 71 69 70, Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 68 70 72, Liam Bond (Wal) 67 71 72, David Dixon (Eng) 68 73 69, Joost Luiten (Ned) 68 71 71
211 Magnus A Carlsson (Swe) 68 69 74, Luis Claverie (Spa) 72 68 71, Raphael De Sousa (Swi) 67 72 72, Nicolas Vanhootegem (Bel) 68 70 73
212 Jamie Donaldson (Wal) 73 65 74, Scott Henderson (Sco) 70 70 72, Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 67 73 72, Stuart Manley (Wal) 70 70 72, Bernd Wiesberger (Aut) 72 67 73, Laurent Richard (Bel) 69 72 71
213 Klas Eriksson (Swe) 71 70 72, Nicola Maestroni (Ita) 74 67 72
214 Jerome Theunis (Bel) 71 70 73
215 Christian Reimbold (Ger) 70 71 74, Anthony Snobeck (Fra) 71 70 74, Peter Baker (Eng) 70 69 76, Ally Mellor (Eng) 71 68 76
216 Rodolfo Gonzalez (Arg) 70 69 77, Chris Gane (Eng) 70 69 77, François Delamontagne (Fra) 69 70 77
218 Matthew King (Eng) 71 70 77, Daniel De Leon (Mex) 70 70 78
219 Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 69 71 79
222 James Kamte (Rsa) 72 69 81
MIKAEL LUNDBEG WITH ONE ROUND TO GO IN ITALY
FROM RODDY WILLIAMS
Press Officer, European Challenge Tour
Peter Whiteford’s hopes of a third Challenge Tour victory of the season took a severe dent after the Scot’s two over par 73 at La Pavoniere Golf and Country Club in Tuscany left him trailing Sweden’s Mikael Lundberg by 10 strokes going into the final round of the Toscana Open Italian Federation Cup.
Lundberg rewrote the record books with a nine-under-par third-round of 62 for 18-under-par 195.
Whiteford was just one stroke off the lead at the halfway stage but a triple bogey 7 on the second hole saw him fall back into the pack. Although he battled back with four birdies, he also dropped a further three shots to the card to lie at eight under par 205.
Whiteford has won two of the last three events on the Challenge Tour to climb to 13th on the Rankings and is looking for a strong final two weeks of the season to move into the top ten.
Lundberg’s sensational course record took him to 18 under par 195 and seven clear of Finland’s Toni Karjalainen in the penultimate event of the 2007 Challenge Tour season.
Overnight leader Robert Dinwiddie of England fired a one over par 72 to lie in a share of third place on 203 alongside compatriot Robert Coles (70), Finn Roope Kakko (69) and Argentina’s Julio Zapata (67).
The 34 year old Lundberg, winner of the 2005 Russian Open on The European Tour, currently lies 16th on the Challenge Tour Rankings with the top 20 after next week’s Apulia San Domenico Grand Final earning a place on The 2008 European Tour. Victory would lift him into the top 10 and main certain of a return to the top flight.
For 14 holes, Lundberg simply couldn’t miss as he rolled in ten birdie putts from all angles to pull well clear of the field. Thoughts of a 59 inevitably started to enter his head and when he failed to make birdie from a relatively simple up and down on the 15th, he lost momentum and dropped his only shot of the day on the 16th. But he regrouped to par the last two to maintain a huge lead with a round that was an incredible five strokes better than anyone else in the field.
“I didn’t feel I played that well from tee to green but putted like a god,” said Lundberg. “Putts went in from everywhere. It is by far the best round I have had with the putter.”
Among his ten birdies, three huge putts stood out, from 20 metres on the fourth, 15 metres on the fifth and ten metres on the 14th. But it was a missed birdie putt from just two metres on the 15th that halted his charge.
“I was just trying to stay out of my own way and let things keep happening,” he added. “It is nice when all the things you have been working on come good. I was thinking this is what Tiger Woods feels like on the greens.
“Of course, when I started thinking about it over the last three holes and started trying, it went a little wrong but it was good to par the last as that is a tough hole.”
Despite taking a seven stroke lead into the final round, Lundberg is determined not to be complacent.
“It is nice to have that lead but anyone can shoot a course record tomorrow. Hopefully my experience will help. I really want to get back on The European Tour and if I can do that tomorrow that will mean a great deal.”
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 213 (3 x 71)
195 Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 66 67 62
202 Toni Karjalainen (Fin) 67 67 68
203 Roope Kakko (Fin) 66 68 69, Julio Zapata (Arg) 72 64 67, Robert Dinwiddie (Eng) 68 63 72, Robert Coles (Eng) 67 66 70
205 Stephen Browne (Irl) 68 69 68, Peter Kaensche (Nor) 67 67 71, Tim Milford (Eng) 72 64 69, Peter Whiteford (Sco) 68 64 73
206 Eric Ramsay (Sco) 71 67 68, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 68 67 71, Antti Ahokas (Fin) 71 66 69, Andrew Butterfield (Eng) 71 68 67
207 Inder Van Weerelt (Ned) 69 69 69, Gareth Maybin (NIrl) 71 67 69, Ross Mcgowan (Eng) 71 67 69, Lorenzo Gagli (Ita) 70 69 68, Iain Pyman (Eng) 71 68 68
208 Jan-Are Larsen (Nor) 69 71 68, Juan Abbate (Arg) 68 73 67, Martin Wiegele (Aut) 70 67 71, Ben Mason (Eng) 70 67 71, Peter Fowler (Aus) 68 69 71, Adam Gee (Eng) 70 68 70, George Murray (Sco) 69 68 71, Tobias Dier (Ger) 67 68 73
209 Matthew Richardson (Eng) 70 70 69, Alvaro Salto (Spa) 68 72 69, David Horsey (Eng) 69 70 70, Mikko Korhonen (Fin) 71 69 69
210 Gustavo Rojas (Arg) 68 71 71, Gareth Davies (Eng) 71 69 70, Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 68 70 72, Liam Bond (Wal) 67 71 72, David Dixon (Eng) 68 73 69, Joost Luiten (Ned) 68 71 71
211 Magnus A Carlsson (Swe) 68 69 74, Luis Claverie (Spa) 72 68 71, Raphael De Sousa (Swi) 67 72 72, Nicolas Vanhootegem (Bel) 68 70 73
212 Jamie Donaldson (Wal) 73 65 74, Scott Henderson (Sco) 70 70 72, Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 67 73 72, Stuart Manley (Wal) 70 70 72, Bernd Wiesberger (Aut) 72 67 73, Laurent Richard (Bel) 69 72 71
213 Klas Eriksson (Swe) 71 70 72, Nicola Maestroni (Ita) 74 67 72
214 Jerome Theunis (Bel) 71 70 73
215 Christian Reimbold (Ger) 70 71 74, Anthony Snobeck (Fra) 71 70 74, Peter Baker (Eng) 70 69 76, Ally Mellor (Eng) 71 68 76
216 Rodolfo Gonzalez (Arg) 70 69 77, Chris Gane (Eng) 70 69 77, François Delamontagne (Fra) 69 70 77
218 Matthew King (Eng) 71 70 77, Daniel De Leon (Mex) 70 70 78
219 Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 69 71 79
222 James Kamte (Rsa) 72 69 81
Labels: Pro Men
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Friday, October 19, 2007
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