European Tour news
Brilliant 61 propels Robert Karlsson
into Italian Open halfway lead
Robert Karlsson surged into the halfway lead in the Italian Open championship in Milan, courtesy of a brilliant second round of 11-under-par 61, a course record, for a 15-under-par tally of 129.
The Sweden thought at one time he would be playing in the Players' Championship at Sawgrass this week but confusion over whether or not he was qualified to play in the American tournament, forced him to stick to his original schedule and play in Italy.
It was a decision that may well may much bigger returns for him in Europe than in the States.
He produced what will surely stand as one of the European Tour rounds of the year - two eagles, eight birdies, one bogey by the man who stands only at No 48 in the world rankings.
The Italian Open, of course, is not over yet by a long chalk - unless Karlsson goes out and does it again on Saturday. Karlsson is two strokes in front of Englishman Mark Foster and South African Hennie Otto, both of whom shot 66 today for 13-under 131.
Argentine Estanislao Goya (67), the current European Challenge Tour money-list leader, and Dane Anders Hansen (65) are two strokes further back.
The overnight joint leader Marco Ruiz of Paraguay (70) is in a large group at 10-under.
Karlsson admitted shooting a 59, which has never been done on the European Tour, had "crossed my mind." But the 2006 Ryder Cup player was still delighted to equal his career-best single-round score, giving him a chance of an eighth title.
"I was never really sure I would make [TPC] Sawgrass and I thought if I could play well here it would be for the best," Karlsson said.
"I'm in Ireland next week, so it's really good for travelling and maybe it's worked out for the best."
Karlsson, who had to wait seven years for his chance to play against the U.S. after narrowly missing out on the 1999 Ryder Cup team, has every chance of moving up from his current eighth position.
Even though he feels he is playing the best golf of his life, though, the Monte Carlo-based Swede is determined not to set either Nick Faldo's Valhalla team as a goal or winning a first major.
"I've found out you definitely can't chase results," said Karlsson. "So I'm focusing on improving all the time.
"The Ryder Cup or a major will then take care of itself."
Two-time major champion John Daly (73) qualified for the final two rounds, right on the cut-off of four-under par 140, the lowest qualifying mark for some time on the European Tour.
Marc Warren, Gary Orr and Alastair Forsyth were the only Scots to make it through to the weekend action - Warren on nine-under-par 135 after a 70, Orr on 138 after a 69 and Forsyth on the limit of 140, thanks to a splendid 66.
Steven O'Hara and Stephen Gallagher both shot three-under-par 141 and failed by one shot.
ALL THE SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
129 Robert Karlsson (Swe) 68 61
131 Hennie Otto (Rsa) 65 66, Mark Foster 65 66
133 Anders Hansen (Den) 68 65, Estanislao Goya (Arg) 66 67
134 Christian Nilsson (Swe) 67 67, Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 70 64, Marco Ruiz (Par) 64 70, Phillip Archer 70 64, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 68 66, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 67 67, Bradley Dredge 69 65
135 Steve Webster 66 69, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 70 65, Marc Warren 65 70, Oliver Wilson 66 69, Sam Little 69 66, David Lynn 68 67, Ross McGowan 64 71
136 Marcel Siem (Ger) 70 66, Doug McGuigan 68 68, Ben Mason 68 68, Paul Broadhurst 69 67, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 67 69.
137 Paul Waring 70 67, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 66 71, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 71 66, Nick Dougherty 71 66, Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 67 70, Alexandre Rocha (Bra) 69 68, Alexander Noren (Swe) 66 71, Lorenzo null Gagli (Ita) 71 66, Miles Tunnicliff 69 68, Gregory Havret (Fra) 70 67.
138 Henrik Nystrom (Swe) 68 70, Ulrich Van Den Berg (Rsa) 70 68, Gary Orr 69 69, Matthew Millar (Aus) 68 70, Marco Soffietti (Ita) 72 66, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 67 71, Mark Pilkington 74 64, Alessandro Tadini (Ita) 71 67, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 66 72, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 68 70, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 67 71, Emanuele Canonica (Ita) 68 70.
139 Per-Ulrik Johansson (Swe) 66 73, David Frost (Rsa) 71 68, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 69 70, Lee Slattery 71 68, Scott Barr (Aus) 70 69, Federico Colombo (Ita) 69 70, Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra) 67 72, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 69 70, Santiago Luna (Spa) 71 68, Richard Bland 68 71, Jan Are Larsen (Nor) 69 70, Renaud Guillard (Fra) 72 67, Nunzio Lombardi (Ita) 68 71, Gareth Paddison (Nzl) 67 72, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 66 73, James Kamte (Rsa) 69 70, Thomas Levet (Fra) 69 70
140 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 71 69, Claudio Vigano (Ita) 75 65, Martin Wiegele (Aut) 71 69, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 67 73, Peter Baker 69 71, David Park 70 70, John Daly (USA) 67 73, Gary Clark 71 69, Robert Rock 71 69, Pedro Linhart (Spa) 70 70, Stephen Dodd 72 68, Alastair Forsyth 74 66, Ian Garbutt 73 67
MISSED THE CUT
141 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 70 71, Francesco Molinari (Ita) 70 71, Juan Abbate (Arg) 70 71, Zane Scotland 72 69, Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 69 72, Sion Bebb 70 71, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 69 72, Steven O'Hara 72 69, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 72 69, Anthony Wall 70 71, Lee S James 70 71, Stephen Gallacher 72 69
142 George Murray 69 73, Mattias Eliasson (Swe) 68 74, Kyron Sullivan 72 70, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 70 72, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 74 68, Iain Pyman 74 68, Christiano Terragni (Ita) 70 72, Peter Fowler (Aus) 72 70, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 72 70, Andrea Perrino (Ita) 70 72, Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 71 71
143 Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 72 71, Garry Houston 71 72, Leif Westerberg (Swe) 74 69, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 70 73, Gary Lockerbie 71 72, Andrew McArthur 71 72, Antti Ahokas (Fin) 72 71, Alfredo Garcia (Spa) 71 72, Florian Praegant (Aut) 70 73, Klas Eriksson (Swe) 75 68, Philip Golding 73 70
144 Miguel Rodriguez (Arg) 75 69, Gregory Molteni (Ita) 72 72, Steve Alker (Nzl) 75 69, Liam Bond 72 72, Matthew Cort 73 71, Julio Zapata (Arg) 70 74, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 73 71, Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 74 70
145 Joakim Backstrom (Swe) 71 74, Marco Crespi (Ita) 74 71, David Griffiths 74 71, Luis Claverie (Spa) 72 73, Robert Coles 71 74, Stuart Manley 78 67, Rafael Echenique (Arg) 72 73, Scott Drummond 77 68, Jim Payne 74 71, Andrea Zanini (Ita) 76 69, Benoit Teilleria (Fra) 75 70, Alessio Bruschi (Ita) 71 74
146 Raphael Eyraud (Fra) 73 73, Craig Lee 72 74, Paolo Terreni (Ita) 75 71, Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 76 70, Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 76 70, Tiago Cruz (Por) 75 71, David Drysdale 73 73, Sven Struver (Ger) 70 76, David Dixon 71 75, Markus Brier (Aut) 76 70, Michele Reale (Ita) 73 73
147 Alessandro Napoleoni (Ita) 73 74
148 Giorgio Grillo (Ita) 73 75, Richie Ramsay 73 75, Sam Walker 73 75, Ariel Canete (Arg) 72 76
149 Anton Haig (Rsa) 75 74, Nicola Maestroni (Ita) 76 73, Tom Whitehouse 75 74, Nino Bertasio (Ita) 76 73
150 Peter Gustafsson (Swe) 77 73
151 Steven Jeppesen (Swe) 78 73
156 Costantino Rocca (Ita) 79 77
157 Terry Pilkadaris (Aus) 81 76
into Italian Open halfway lead
Robert Karlsson surged into the halfway lead in the Italian Open championship in Milan, courtesy of a brilliant second round of 11-under-par 61, a course record, for a 15-under-par tally of 129.
The Sweden thought at one time he would be playing in the Players' Championship at Sawgrass this week but confusion over whether or not he was qualified to play in the American tournament, forced him to stick to his original schedule and play in Italy.
It was a decision that may well may much bigger returns for him in Europe than in the States.
He produced what will surely stand as one of the European Tour rounds of the year - two eagles, eight birdies, one bogey by the man who stands only at No 48 in the world rankings.
The Italian Open, of course, is not over yet by a long chalk - unless Karlsson goes out and does it again on Saturday. Karlsson is two strokes in front of Englishman Mark Foster and South African Hennie Otto, both of whom shot 66 today for 13-under 131.
Argentine Estanislao Goya (67), the current European Challenge Tour money-list leader, and Dane Anders Hansen (65) are two strokes further back.
The overnight joint leader Marco Ruiz of Paraguay (70) is in a large group at 10-under.
Karlsson admitted shooting a 59, which has never been done on the European Tour, had "crossed my mind." But the 2006 Ryder Cup player was still delighted to equal his career-best single-round score, giving him a chance of an eighth title.
"I was never really sure I would make [TPC] Sawgrass and I thought if I could play well here it would be for the best," Karlsson said.
"I'm in Ireland next week, so it's really good for travelling and maybe it's worked out for the best."
Karlsson, who had to wait seven years for his chance to play against the U.S. after narrowly missing out on the 1999 Ryder Cup team, has every chance of moving up from his current eighth position.
Even though he feels he is playing the best golf of his life, though, the Monte Carlo-based Swede is determined not to set either Nick Faldo's Valhalla team as a goal or winning a first major.
"I've found out you definitely can't chase results," said Karlsson. "So I'm focusing on improving all the time.
"The Ryder Cup or a major will then take care of itself."
Two-time major champion John Daly (73) qualified for the final two rounds, right on the cut-off of four-under par 140, the lowest qualifying mark for some time on the European Tour.
Marc Warren, Gary Orr and Alastair Forsyth were the only Scots to make it through to the weekend action - Warren on nine-under-par 135 after a 70, Orr on 138 after a 69 and Forsyth on the limit of 140, thanks to a splendid 66.
Steven O'Hara and Stephen Gallagher both shot three-under-par 141 and failed by one shot.
ALL THE SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
129 Robert Karlsson (Swe) 68 61
131 Hennie Otto (Rsa) 65 66, Mark Foster 65 66
133 Anders Hansen (Den) 68 65, Estanislao Goya (Arg) 66 67
134 Christian Nilsson (Swe) 67 67, Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 70 64, Marco Ruiz (Par) 64 70, Phillip Archer 70 64, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 68 66, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 67 67, Bradley Dredge 69 65
135 Steve Webster 66 69, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 70 65, Marc Warren 65 70, Oliver Wilson 66 69, Sam Little 69 66, David Lynn 68 67, Ross McGowan 64 71
136 Marcel Siem (Ger) 70 66, Doug McGuigan 68 68, Ben Mason 68 68, Paul Broadhurst 69 67, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 67 69.
137 Paul Waring 70 67, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 66 71, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 71 66, Nick Dougherty 71 66, Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 67 70, Alexandre Rocha (Bra) 69 68, Alexander Noren (Swe) 66 71, Lorenzo null Gagli (Ita) 71 66, Miles Tunnicliff 69 68, Gregory Havret (Fra) 70 67.
138 Henrik Nystrom (Swe) 68 70, Ulrich Van Den Berg (Rsa) 70 68, Gary Orr 69 69, Matthew Millar (Aus) 68 70, Marco Soffietti (Ita) 72 66, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 67 71, Mark Pilkington 74 64, Alessandro Tadini (Ita) 71 67, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 66 72, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 68 70, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 67 71, Emanuele Canonica (Ita) 68 70.
139 Per-Ulrik Johansson (Swe) 66 73, David Frost (Rsa) 71 68, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 69 70, Lee Slattery 71 68, Scott Barr (Aus) 70 69, Federico Colombo (Ita) 69 70, Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra) 67 72, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 69 70, Santiago Luna (Spa) 71 68, Richard Bland 68 71, Jan Are Larsen (Nor) 69 70, Renaud Guillard (Fra) 72 67, Nunzio Lombardi (Ita) 68 71, Gareth Paddison (Nzl) 67 72, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 66 73, James Kamte (Rsa) 69 70, Thomas Levet (Fra) 69 70
140 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 71 69, Claudio Vigano (Ita) 75 65, Martin Wiegele (Aut) 71 69, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 67 73, Peter Baker 69 71, David Park 70 70, John Daly (USA) 67 73, Gary Clark 71 69, Robert Rock 71 69, Pedro Linhart (Spa) 70 70, Stephen Dodd 72 68, Alastair Forsyth 74 66, Ian Garbutt 73 67
MISSED THE CUT
141 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 70 71, Francesco Molinari (Ita) 70 71, Juan Abbate (Arg) 70 71, Zane Scotland 72 69, Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 69 72, Sion Bebb 70 71, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 69 72, Steven O'Hara 72 69, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 72 69, Anthony Wall 70 71, Lee S James 70 71, Stephen Gallacher 72 69
142 George Murray 69 73, Mattias Eliasson (Swe) 68 74, Kyron Sullivan 72 70, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 70 72, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 74 68, Iain Pyman 74 68, Christiano Terragni (Ita) 70 72, Peter Fowler (Aus) 72 70, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 72 70, Andrea Perrino (Ita) 70 72, Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 71 71
143 Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 72 71, Garry Houston 71 72, Leif Westerberg (Swe) 74 69, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 70 73, Gary Lockerbie 71 72, Andrew McArthur 71 72, Antti Ahokas (Fin) 72 71, Alfredo Garcia (Spa) 71 72, Florian Praegant (Aut) 70 73, Klas Eriksson (Swe) 75 68, Philip Golding 73 70
144 Miguel Rodriguez (Arg) 75 69, Gregory Molteni (Ita) 72 72, Steve Alker (Nzl) 75 69, Liam Bond 72 72, Matthew Cort 73 71, Julio Zapata (Arg) 70 74, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 73 71, Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 74 70
145 Joakim Backstrom (Swe) 71 74, Marco Crespi (Ita) 74 71, David Griffiths 74 71, Luis Claverie (Spa) 72 73, Robert Coles 71 74, Stuart Manley 78 67, Rafael Echenique (Arg) 72 73, Scott Drummond 77 68, Jim Payne 74 71, Andrea Zanini (Ita) 76 69, Benoit Teilleria (Fra) 75 70, Alessio Bruschi (Ita) 71 74
146 Raphael Eyraud (Fra) 73 73, Craig Lee 72 74, Paolo Terreni (Ita) 75 71, Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 76 70, Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 76 70, Tiago Cruz (Por) 75 71, David Drysdale 73 73, Sven Struver (Ger) 70 76, David Dixon 71 75, Markus Brier (Aut) 76 70, Michele Reale (Ita) 73 73
147 Alessandro Napoleoni (Ita) 73 74
148 Giorgio Grillo (Ita) 73 75, Richie Ramsay 73 75, Sam Walker 73 75, Ariel Canete (Arg) 72 76
149 Anton Haig (Rsa) 75 74, Nicola Maestroni (Ita) 76 73, Tom Whitehouse 75 74, Nino Bertasio (Ita) 76 73
150 Peter Gustafsson (Swe) 77 73
151 Steven Jeppesen (Swe) 78 73
156 Costantino Rocca (Ita) 79 77
157 Terry Pilkadaris (Aus) 81 76
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Friday, May 09, 2008
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