LUPTON LAYS DOWN THE GAUNTLET:
FORMER CHAMPS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD
From RON MARSHALL, PGA Press Officer
Without a trace of cockiness, Jonathan Lupton finished his conversation to the media with a sentence that should strike fear into his challengers over tomorrow’s (Fri) final round of the Powerade PGA Assistants' Championship, in association with Footjoy.
After signing for a super 68 over the Heritage course at The London Club and an aggregate of 137, the 32-year-old from Middlesbrough commented “If I play like that tomorrow someone will have to shoot an amazing score to beat me.”
And so the stage is set for a fascinating shoot-out between defending champion, Guy Woodman, and Lupton who’ll be the last pair out. Woodman could do no better than a level-par 72, leaving him a daunting four shots behind his playing partner.
And yet Lupton, who looks after the golf academy at Close House Hotel, near Newcastle, had a depressing opening, bogeying his first two holes. An eagle at the long fifth (drive, three-iron to 10 feet) then gains at eight and nine, the latter thanks to a 20-foot putt, had him out in 34.
A more adventurous eagle came at the 12th, where he had to fire his second, a six-iron, over a huge tree, and then plonked a 40-yard lob wedge into the hole. A 40-foot putt yielded his final birdie of the day at the 17th, and his only blemish occurred when his second at the 18th found a fiendish lie in a bunker, and he was happy to walk off with a bogey.
Woodman was convinced he’d let four or five opportunities slip as he stayed on course to make a robust defence of his title.
The 32-year-old, who represents Mid Herts, added a level-par 72 to Wednesday’s 69 but in the mild, calm conditions he felt he could have reinforced his challenge.
Playing from the 10th, he had a satisfactory one-under 35 on the way out, largely boosted by an improbable eagle at the 531-yard 12th.
“I hit a wayward three-wood off the tee, hacked out of the rough with a gap wedge, and then a soft wedge landed five feet past the hole and zipped back into the cup. You don’t turn these down.”
He also made a brave sand save from a cavernous greenside bunker at the 443-yard 18th, splashing out to no more than 18 inches.
His inward nine was less stellar. Missed birdie putts at the first and second from no more than four and 10 feet respectively did him no favours, and he was in further soap-suds when his tee shot off the 194-yard third found water on the left, and that eventually added up to a double bogey.
His only gain on that half came when he reduced the 563-yard eighth to a drive, three-wood a chip and a putt.
Newbury’s Daniel Seymour quietly slipped through his round with a very fine 70. The 22-year-old, winner of last year’s Bucks/Berks/Oxon match-play championship, hit a glorious rescue wood 220 yards into the 16th green, the ball resting two feet from the flag. He lies tied second with Woodman.
Gloucester’s Russell Berry continues to nip away at his more publicised rivals. The Cleeve Hill assistant, who’d been heading for a special score in Wednesday’s opening round – five under with three to play but eventually signing for a 70 – completed his level-par round with a flourish, carding birdies on his final two holes. Leading scores:
Top Scot after the opening round, Richard Valentine (Craigielaw) slipped to a 75 and is tied fifth with fellow Scot David Patrick (Elie).
LEADING TOTALS
137 J Lupton (Close House) 69 68
141 G Woodman (East Berks) 69 72, D Seymour (Newbury GC) 71 70
142 R Berry (Cleeve Hill) 70 72
145 D Patrick (Elie) 72 73, R Leonard (Mid Herts) 71 74, R Valentine (Craigielaw) 70
75.
146 M Davies (Rhuddlan) 71 75, G Cowan (Westerhope) 74 72, G Hamerton
Brookdale) 72 74
147 T Fleming (Frilford Heath) 78 69, G Cullen (Beaverstown) 77 70, C Gill (Exeter)
73 74, L Laughlin (Cambridge NGC) 74 73
148 B Welch (Remedy Oak) 72 76, G Fox (E Kilbride) 75 73
Other Scottish scores:
148 G Fox (E Kilbride) 75 73
MISSED THE CUT (153 and better)
155 C Currie (Caldwell) 81 74, M Barnard (Inchmarlo) 79 76
156 P McLachlan (W Kilbride) 78 78
159 D Blackadder (Kingsbarns) 81 78, C Dempster (Inchmarlo) 74 85
160 A Martin (Dunbar) 80 80
161 G Mackay (Prestonfield) 83, 78
165 G Stewart (Gleddoch) 85 80, R Ewen (W Lothian) 84 81
167 A McDonald (Elie) 84 83
,
FORMER CHAMPS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD
From RON MARSHALL, PGA Press Officer
Without a trace of cockiness, Jonathan Lupton finished his conversation to the media with a sentence that should strike fear into his challengers over tomorrow’s (Fri) final round of the Powerade PGA Assistants' Championship, in association with Footjoy.
After signing for a super 68 over the Heritage course at The London Club and an aggregate of 137, the 32-year-old from Middlesbrough commented “If I play like that tomorrow someone will have to shoot an amazing score to beat me.”
And so the stage is set for a fascinating shoot-out between defending champion, Guy Woodman, and Lupton who’ll be the last pair out. Woodman could do no better than a level-par 72, leaving him a daunting four shots behind his playing partner.
And yet Lupton, who looks after the golf academy at Close House Hotel, near Newcastle, had a depressing opening, bogeying his first two holes. An eagle at the long fifth (drive, three-iron to 10 feet) then gains at eight and nine, the latter thanks to a 20-foot putt, had him out in 34.
A more adventurous eagle came at the 12th, where he had to fire his second, a six-iron, over a huge tree, and then plonked a 40-yard lob wedge into the hole. A 40-foot putt yielded his final birdie of the day at the 17th, and his only blemish occurred when his second at the 18th found a fiendish lie in a bunker, and he was happy to walk off with a bogey.
Woodman was convinced he’d let four or five opportunities slip as he stayed on course to make a robust defence of his title.
The 32-year-old, who represents Mid Herts, added a level-par 72 to Wednesday’s 69 but in the mild, calm conditions he felt he could have reinforced his challenge.
Playing from the 10th, he had a satisfactory one-under 35 on the way out, largely boosted by an improbable eagle at the 531-yard 12th.
“I hit a wayward three-wood off the tee, hacked out of the rough with a gap wedge, and then a soft wedge landed five feet past the hole and zipped back into the cup. You don’t turn these down.”
He also made a brave sand save from a cavernous greenside bunker at the 443-yard 18th, splashing out to no more than 18 inches.
His inward nine was less stellar. Missed birdie putts at the first and second from no more than four and 10 feet respectively did him no favours, and he was in further soap-suds when his tee shot off the 194-yard third found water on the left, and that eventually added up to a double bogey.
His only gain on that half came when he reduced the 563-yard eighth to a drive, three-wood a chip and a putt.
Newbury’s Daniel Seymour quietly slipped through his round with a very fine 70. The 22-year-old, winner of last year’s Bucks/Berks/Oxon match-play championship, hit a glorious rescue wood 220 yards into the 16th green, the ball resting two feet from the flag. He lies tied second with Woodman.
Gloucester’s Russell Berry continues to nip away at his more publicised rivals. The Cleeve Hill assistant, who’d been heading for a special score in Wednesday’s opening round – five under with three to play but eventually signing for a 70 – completed his level-par round with a flourish, carding birdies on his final two holes. Leading scores:
Top Scot after the opening round, Richard Valentine (Craigielaw) slipped to a 75 and is tied fifth with fellow Scot David Patrick (Elie).
LEADING TOTALS
137 J Lupton (Close House) 69 68
141 G Woodman (East Berks) 69 72, D Seymour (Newbury GC) 71 70
142 R Berry (Cleeve Hill) 70 72
145 D Patrick (Elie) 72 73, R Leonard (Mid Herts) 71 74, R Valentine (Craigielaw) 70
75.
146 M Davies (Rhuddlan) 71 75, G Cowan (Westerhope) 74 72, G Hamerton
Brookdale) 72 74
147 T Fleming (Frilford Heath) 78 69, G Cullen (Beaverstown) 77 70, C Gill (Exeter)
73 74, L Laughlin (Cambridge NGC) 74 73
148 B Welch (Remedy Oak) 72 76, G Fox (E Kilbride) 75 73
Other Scottish scores:
148 G Fox (E Kilbride) 75 73
MISSED THE CUT (153 and better)
155 C Currie (Caldwell) 81 74, M Barnard (Inchmarlo) 79 76
156 P McLachlan (W Kilbride) 78 78
159 D Blackadder (Kingsbarns) 81 78, C Dempster (Inchmarlo) 74 85
160 A Martin (Dunbar) 80 80
161 G Mackay (Prestonfield) 83, 78
165 G Stewart (Gleddoch) 85 80, R Ewen (W Lothian) 84 81
167 A McDonald (Elie) 84 83
,
Labels: Pro Men
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Thursday, August 13, 2009
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