Torrance forced to retire from Irish Seniors Open
Can Chapman make a two-shot lead
a winning advantage this time?
From Steve Todd, European Senior Tour Press Officer
Englishman Roger Chapman will have a second attempt at capturing his maiden European Senior Tour title when he takes a two-shot lead into the final round of the Irish Seniors Open in association with Fáilte Ireland and AIB Bank after battling to a level par 71 in blustery conditions at Ballybunion Golf Club today.
Chapman started with exactly the same advantage in final round of his European Senior Tour debut in the Son Gual Mallorca Senior Open a month ago, only to be overtaken by winner Mark James, who defeated Eamonn Darcy in a play-off after the pair shot final rounds of 66 and 65 respectively.
But with conditions in County Kerry not as conducive to low scoring, the 50 year old Senior Tour rookie has set his sights on seeing the job through this time following a solid second round, during which Ballybunion bared her fangs with gusts of up to 25mph.
“It’s nice to have a two-shot lead but I had that in Mallorca,” he said. “It all depends on the weather. Bob Boyd is two behind but then he is three ahead of the rest. We shall see. I’m playing nicely and putting nicely.
“In Mallorca they shot 65 and 66 to overtake me. They aren’t going to do that here. If I can break par here who knows. I’m enjoying leading. I didn’t used to enjoy it on the main Tour but for some reason I feel comfortable now and happy to be out here.”
Chapman recovered from bogeys on the second and fourth hole by picking up shots at the fifth and ninth before draining a 30ft birdie putt on the 15th.
He then bogeyed the last after pulling his drive left to finish on four under par 138, two strokes ahead of American Boyd who fired a superb 68 – the joint lowest round of the day with Angel Franco.
“Standing on the first tee I would have taken 71 – I would have snapped your hand off,” said Chapman. “I got off to a bad start. I was playing okay but three-putted the second. Then I missed a three footer for par on the fourth so I was two over and it was getting harder and harder but I managed to birdie five and then hung there really.”
Boyd, who returned to the game last season after battling acute myeloid leukemia, finished with a hat-trick of birdies, having only dropped one shot on the third hole.
“I had a good back nine. I struck the ball well and kept it in play and that is what you have to do around here,” said the 54 year old.
“I live on the coast but we don’t have wind like this. You just have to accept the conditions.”
English pair Gordon J Brand and Glenn Ralph lie third on one over par, while Ryder Cup-winning captain Ian Woosnam, at one time world No 1, is also in contention after a one under par 70 moved him up to a share of fifth place, six shots behind Chapman on two over par.
Home favourite Des Smyth, who had started the day two shots behind overnight leader Chapman, finished with a double bogey to sign for a 77 but he is still in the top ten.
Former Ryder Cup player Manuel Pinero had earlier claimed a minor victory over the course when he holed his seven iron tee shot from 149 yards on the eighth hole but that was en route to a round off 77.
Sam Torrance, the 2002 Ryder Cup captain who is currently second in the Senior Tour Order of Merit, was forced to withdraw after two holes due to a recurrence of a long standing hand injury.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 142 (2 x 71)
138 R Chapman (Eng) 67 71
140 B Boyd (USA) 72 68
143 G Brand (Eng) 71 72, G Ralph (Eng) 69 74
144 I Woosnam (Wal) 74 70, G Cali (Ita) 72 72
145 E Darcy (Irl) 73 72, T Johnstone (Zim) 71 74
146 H Carbonetti (Arg) 69 77, J Rivero (Esp) 72 74, A Franco (Par) 78 68, K Tomori (Jpn) 70 76, E Rodriguez (Esp) 72 74, D Smyth (Irl) 69 77, N Ratcliffe (Aus) 75 71
147 S Bennett (Eng) 74 73, L Carbonetti (Arg) 72 75, P Mitchell (Eng) 74 73, J Bland (RSA) 72 75
148 J Rhodes (Eng) 72 76, D O'Sullivan (Irl) 77 71, P Brostedt (Swe) 69 79, R Drummond (Sco) 72 76, D Merriman (Aus) 75 73
149 D Cambridge (Jam) 70 79, B Lincoln (RSA) 77 72, C Rocca (Ita) 72 77, A Fernandez (Chi) 70 79
150 B Cameron (Eng) 72 78, S Ginn (Aus) 76 74, M Harwood (Aus) 72 78, D Russell (Eng) 75 75,
151 D Good (Aus) 74 77, G Brand Jnr (Sco) 73 78, C Mason (Eng) 73 78, S Ebihara (Jpn) 71 80, T Giedeon (Ger) 77 74
152 B Longmuir (Sco) 72 80, A Murray (Eng) 69 83, J Chillas (Sco) 76 76, M Miller (Sco) 78 74,
153 I Mosey (Eng) 76 77, E Polland (Nir) 79 74, J Quiros (Esp) 73 80, J Hall (Eng) 74 79, M Clayton (Aus) 80 73, G Encina (Chi) 77 76
154 D Hospital (Esp) 74 80, G Towne (USA) 77 77, G Watine (Fra) 77 77, M Cunning (USA) 74 80
155 M Williams (Zim) 76 79, J Heggarty (NIr) 75 80, M Piñero (Esp) 78 77, J Bruner (USA) 76 79, N Job (Eng) 70 85, D Johnson (USA) 76 79, P Oakley (USA) 74 81
156 E Feely (Irl) 79 77, P O'Hagan (Irl) 74 82
157 M Bembridge (Eng) 80 77
158 K Spurgeon (Eng) 80 78, A Garrido (Esp) 78 80, D Durnian (Eng) 82 76
159 S Owen (Nzl) 80 79, B Smit (RSA) 78 81
160 T Gale (Aus) 80 80, M Coote (am) (Irl) 77 83
161 E McMenamin (am) (Irl) 80 81
163 A Barrera (Arg) 84 79
165 P Teravainen (USA) 79 86
166 L Macnamara (am) (Irl) 81 85
167 D Morris (am) (Irl) 82 85
169 A Spring (Irl) 87 82
Retired: L Higgins (Ire) 74, S Torrance (Sco) 76.
a winning advantage this time?
From Steve Todd, European Senior Tour Press Officer
Englishman Roger Chapman will have a second attempt at capturing his maiden European Senior Tour title when he takes a two-shot lead into the final round of the Irish Seniors Open in association with Fáilte Ireland and AIB Bank after battling to a level par 71 in blustery conditions at Ballybunion Golf Club today.
Chapman started with exactly the same advantage in final round of his European Senior Tour debut in the Son Gual Mallorca Senior Open a month ago, only to be overtaken by winner Mark James, who defeated Eamonn Darcy in a play-off after the pair shot final rounds of 66 and 65 respectively.
But with conditions in County Kerry not as conducive to low scoring, the 50 year old Senior Tour rookie has set his sights on seeing the job through this time following a solid second round, during which Ballybunion bared her fangs with gusts of up to 25mph.
“It’s nice to have a two-shot lead but I had that in Mallorca,” he said. “It all depends on the weather. Bob Boyd is two behind but then he is three ahead of the rest. We shall see. I’m playing nicely and putting nicely.
“In Mallorca they shot 65 and 66 to overtake me. They aren’t going to do that here. If I can break par here who knows. I’m enjoying leading. I didn’t used to enjoy it on the main Tour but for some reason I feel comfortable now and happy to be out here.”
Chapman recovered from bogeys on the second and fourth hole by picking up shots at the fifth and ninth before draining a 30ft birdie putt on the 15th.
He then bogeyed the last after pulling his drive left to finish on four under par 138, two strokes ahead of American Boyd who fired a superb 68 – the joint lowest round of the day with Angel Franco.
“Standing on the first tee I would have taken 71 – I would have snapped your hand off,” said Chapman. “I got off to a bad start. I was playing okay but three-putted the second. Then I missed a three footer for par on the fourth so I was two over and it was getting harder and harder but I managed to birdie five and then hung there really.”
Boyd, who returned to the game last season after battling acute myeloid leukemia, finished with a hat-trick of birdies, having only dropped one shot on the third hole.
“I had a good back nine. I struck the ball well and kept it in play and that is what you have to do around here,” said the 54 year old.
“I live on the coast but we don’t have wind like this. You just have to accept the conditions.”
English pair Gordon J Brand and Glenn Ralph lie third on one over par, while Ryder Cup-winning captain Ian Woosnam, at one time world No 1, is also in contention after a one under par 70 moved him up to a share of fifth place, six shots behind Chapman on two over par.
Home favourite Des Smyth, who had started the day two shots behind overnight leader Chapman, finished with a double bogey to sign for a 77 but he is still in the top ten.
Former Ryder Cup player Manuel Pinero had earlier claimed a minor victory over the course when he holed his seven iron tee shot from 149 yards on the eighth hole but that was en route to a round off 77.
Sam Torrance, the 2002 Ryder Cup captain who is currently second in the Senior Tour Order of Merit, was forced to withdraw after two holes due to a recurrence of a long standing hand injury.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 142 (2 x 71)
138 R Chapman (Eng) 67 71
140 B Boyd (USA) 72 68
143 G Brand (Eng) 71 72, G Ralph (Eng) 69 74
144 I Woosnam (Wal) 74 70, G Cali (Ita) 72 72
145 E Darcy (Irl) 73 72, T Johnstone (Zim) 71 74
146 H Carbonetti (Arg) 69 77, J Rivero (Esp) 72 74, A Franco (Par) 78 68, K Tomori (Jpn) 70 76, E Rodriguez (Esp) 72 74, D Smyth (Irl) 69 77, N Ratcliffe (Aus) 75 71
147 S Bennett (Eng) 74 73, L Carbonetti (Arg) 72 75, P Mitchell (Eng) 74 73, J Bland (RSA) 72 75
148 J Rhodes (Eng) 72 76, D O'Sullivan (Irl) 77 71, P Brostedt (Swe) 69 79, R Drummond (Sco) 72 76, D Merriman (Aus) 75 73
149 D Cambridge (Jam) 70 79, B Lincoln (RSA) 77 72, C Rocca (Ita) 72 77, A Fernandez (Chi) 70 79
150 B Cameron (Eng) 72 78, S Ginn (Aus) 76 74, M Harwood (Aus) 72 78, D Russell (Eng) 75 75,
151 D Good (Aus) 74 77, G Brand Jnr (Sco) 73 78, C Mason (Eng) 73 78, S Ebihara (Jpn) 71 80, T Giedeon (Ger) 77 74
152 B Longmuir (Sco) 72 80, A Murray (Eng) 69 83, J Chillas (Sco) 76 76, M Miller (Sco) 78 74,
153 I Mosey (Eng) 76 77, E Polland (Nir) 79 74, J Quiros (Esp) 73 80, J Hall (Eng) 74 79, M Clayton (Aus) 80 73, G Encina (Chi) 77 76
154 D Hospital (Esp) 74 80, G Towne (USA) 77 77, G Watine (Fra) 77 77, M Cunning (USA) 74 80
155 M Williams (Zim) 76 79, J Heggarty (NIr) 75 80, M Piñero (Esp) 78 77, J Bruner (USA) 76 79, N Job (Eng) 70 85, D Johnson (USA) 76 79, P Oakley (USA) 74 81
156 E Feely (Irl) 79 77, P O'Hagan (Irl) 74 82
157 M Bembridge (Eng) 80 77
158 K Spurgeon (Eng) 80 78, A Garrido (Esp) 78 80, D Durnian (Eng) 82 76
159 S Owen (Nzl) 80 79, B Smit (RSA) 78 81
160 T Gale (Aus) 80 80, M Coote (am) (Irl) 77 83
161 E McMenamin (am) (Irl) 80 81
163 A Barrera (Arg) 84 79
165 P Teravainen (USA) 79 86
166 L Macnamara (am) (Irl) 81 85
167 D Morris (am) (Irl) 82 85
169 A Spring (Irl) 87 82
Retired: L Higgins (Ire) 74, S Torrance (Sco) 76.
Labels: Pro seniors
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, June 06, 2009
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