EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR
Battle of the Brits set for final day in Italy
From Challenge Tour Press Officer Paul Symes
The final day of the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final is all set for a battle of the Brits, with Welshman Rhys Davies and Scotland’s Andrew McArthur occupying the top two places on the leaderboard.
After another day of high winds which made for equally high scoring at San Domenico Golf in Puglia, Italy, just five players in the 45-man field remained under par.
Davies leads on four under par 209 after a round of 69, despite a double bogey 6 on the first hole. The same fate befell McArthur, who staged a late rally to sign for a round of 70 which moved the Scot to three under par 210.
A round of 75 saw overnight leader Andrew Tampion of Australia drop back to third place on 211, one stroke ahead of Frenchman Alexandre Kaleka and Scotland’s Peter Whiteford, who enjoyed contrasting fortunes with respective rounds of 73 and 69.
Of the quintet it is perhaps Davies who will sleep the soundest tonight, having long since secured his European Tour card, courtesy of victories in Wales and Spain earlier in the season.
In contrast, 29th placed Kaleka, 21st placed McArthur and 39th placed Tampion will all be desperately hoping to claim enough of the €300,000 prize fund to secure their spots in the top 20 of the Rankings, while Whiteford will be seeking to consolidate his place in the top 15.
Davies said: “Perhaps I’m under less pressure to perform than some of the other guys around me, but there’s always a little bit of pressure if you’re playing in the last group on the final day of any event, let alone the Grand Final. So I’m sure I’ll be just as focused on winning as they are. "It’s great to win any event, but to win the Grand Final would be that little bit extra special. There’s a lot of guys up there in contention, and I’m sure the course and the weather will play a part again. So I’ll have to stay patient, but if I manage to do that I’m sure I’ll have a great chance.
“My game’s coming together and seems to be getting stronger all the time, which is great. I’m always trying to improve my game, and I’ll need to if I’m going to do well on The European Tour next season. But I’m not thinking about that just yet – there’s one round of the Challenge Tour season left, and my aim is to try to go as low as I possibly can and hopefully end the year with another win.”
McArthur’s mission is to try to erase the pain of previous seasons, having finished 22nd in the Rankings in both 2007 and 2008.
The Scot, who racked up four birdies in his last six holes, said: “It was a bit of a slog for the first 12 holes. I’d created a few birdie chances, but nothing seemed to drop. Then I missed a couple of greens with some calamitous mistakes, and all of a sudden I was three over for the round. But after my birdie at the 13th I had a quick look at the leaderboard, and I knew I was still in with a fighting chance as long as I kept it steady – and that’s exactly what I did.
“There’s obviously a lot on the line on the final day, for me and a lot of the other guys. I’m going to be trying to win to get into the top ten of the Rankings, whilst second or third would probably get me into the top 15, and if I play terribly I’ve got no chance of making it into the top 20.
"Then I’d have to go to the Qualifying School Final and try to earn my card that way but that’s probably even more pressurized, so there’s a lot riding on the final round. I’m sure I’ll be excited and nervous in equal measures, but hopefully all the practice I’ve been putting in will pay off and my game will hold together.
“I don’t know if it’s a help or hindrance, having come so close in previous years. I’m just going to try to keep it simple – it’s all about hitting fairways and greens, and then hopefully holing a few putts. I’ll know not to panic if I do drop a few shots, because I’ve been over par in all three rounds but have managed to get it back. A fast start would be great, but if my game doesn’t click into gear straight away, it’s not the end of the world.”
A top five finish would in all probability hand McArthur a European Tour card for the first time, potentially at the expense of the man directly above him in the Rankings Peter Gustafsson of Sweden, who started the day in a tie for third but fell seven places after his round of 75.
England’s James Morrison, who currently occupies 17th place in the Rankings, is also in danger of slipping out of the top 20 after he dropped back to tied 25th with a round of 74. Sion E Bebb, one place above Morrison in the Rankings, is another who will be staring nervously over his shoulder, having slipped back to 22nd place after a round of 78 which included a triple bogey seven at the 14th.
Home hero and Challenge Tour Number One Edoardo Molinari leapt back in contention with a round of 69 to take a share of seventh place on one over par. Sweden’s Fredrik Andersson Hed, currently 32nd in the Rankings, shot the lowest round of the day – a 68 which included five birdies – to climb to sixth place on level par, raising the seemingly remote prospect of a late surge into the top 20.
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 213 (3x71)
209 R Davies (Wal) 71 69 69,
210 A McArthur (Sco) 70 70 70,
211 A Tampion (Aus) 70 66 75,
212 P Whiteford (Sco) 70 73 69, A Kaleka (Fra) 70 69 73,
213 F Andersson Hed (Swe) 72 73 68,
214 S Jeppesen (Swe) 72 71 71, E Molinari (Ita) 74 71 69, G Boyd (Eng) 72 73 69,
215 Å Nilsson (Swe) 75 71 69, P Gustafsson (Swe) 71 69 75, O Floren (Swe) 72 71 72, A Wagner (Arg) 74 72 69,
217 F Calmels (Fra) 71 74 72, J Guerrier (Fra) 70 75 72, C Gane (Eng) 70 75 72, A Butterfield (Eng) 70 74 73,
218 M Wiegele (Aut) 72 70 76, C Günther (Ger) 77 66 75, R Coles (Eng) 76 67 75, N Colsaerts (Bel) 76 72 70,
219 J Colomo (Esp) 74 71 74, A Hansen (Den) 72 72 75, S Bebb (Wal) 68 73 78,
220 J Morrison (Eng) 76 70 74, R Steiner (Aut) 75 72 73,
221 S Walker (Eng) 76 71 74,
222 E Ramsay (Sco) 77 73 72, M Zions (Aus) 75 72 75,
223 L James (Eng) 73 76 74,
224 J Lima (Por) 72 80 72, J Parry (Eng) 76 73 75,
225 S Manley (Wal) 71 80 74, J McLeary (Sco) 75 78 72, C Rodiles (Esp) 76 72 77,
226 F Fritsch (Ger) 77 79 70, R McEvoy (Eng) 78 72 76, J Quesne (Fra) 73 76 77, A Marshall (Eng) 71 78 77,
227 P Baker (Eng) 76 76 75,
228 L Gagli (Ita) 76 74 78,
230 G Paddison (Nzl) 80 72 78, A Gee (Eng) 77 78 75,
231 F Praegant (Aut) 77 74 80, M Tullo (Chi) 73 81 77
From Challenge Tour Press Officer Paul Symes
The final day of the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final is all set for a battle of the Brits, with Welshman Rhys Davies and Scotland’s Andrew McArthur occupying the top two places on the leaderboard.
After another day of high winds which made for equally high scoring at San Domenico Golf in Puglia, Italy, just five players in the 45-man field remained under par.
Davies leads on four under par 209 after a round of 69, despite a double bogey 6 on the first hole. The same fate befell McArthur, who staged a late rally to sign for a round of 70 which moved the Scot to three under par 210.
A round of 75 saw overnight leader Andrew Tampion of Australia drop back to third place on 211, one stroke ahead of Frenchman Alexandre Kaleka and Scotland’s Peter Whiteford, who enjoyed contrasting fortunes with respective rounds of 73 and 69.
Of the quintet it is perhaps Davies who will sleep the soundest tonight, having long since secured his European Tour card, courtesy of victories in Wales and Spain earlier in the season.
In contrast, 29th placed Kaleka, 21st placed McArthur and 39th placed Tampion will all be desperately hoping to claim enough of the €300,000 prize fund to secure their spots in the top 20 of the Rankings, while Whiteford will be seeking to consolidate his place in the top 15.
Davies said: “Perhaps I’m under less pressure to perform than some of the other guys around me, but there’s always a little bit of pressure if you’re playing in the last group on the final day of any event, let alone the Grand Final. So I’m sure I’ll be just as focused on winning as they are. "It’s great to win any event, but to win the Grand Final would be that little bit extra special. There’s a lot of guys up there in contention, and I’m sure the course and the weather will play a part again. So I’ll have to stay patient, but if I manage to do that I’m sure I’ll have a great chance.
“My game’s coming together and seems to be getting stronger all the time, which is great. I’m always trying to improve my game, and I’ll need to if I’m going to do well on The European Tour next season. But I’m not thinking about that just yet – there’s one round of the Challenge Tour season left, and my aim is to try to go as low as I possibly can and hopefully end the year with another win.”
McArthur’s mission is to try to erase the pain of previous seasons, having finished 22nd in the Rankings in both 2007 and 2008.
The Scot, who racked up four birdies in his last six holes, said: “It was a bit of a slog for the first 12 holes. I’d created a few birdie chances, but nothing seemed to drop. Then I missed a couple of greens with some calamitous mistakes, and all of a sudden I was three over for the round. But after my birdie at the 13th I had a quick look at the leaderboard, and I knew I was still in with a fighting chance as long as I kept it steady – and that’s exactly what I did.
“There’s obviously a lot on the line on the final day, for me and a lot of the other guys. I’m going to be trying to win to get into the top ten of the Rankings, whilst second or third would probably get me into the top 15, and if I play terribly I’ve got no chance of making it into the top 20.
"Then I’d have to go to the Qualifying School Final and try to earn my card that way but that’s probably even more pressurized, so there’s a lot riding on the final round. I’m sure I’ll be excited and nervous in equal measures, but hopefully all the practice I’ve been putting in will pay off and my game will hold together.
“I don’t know if it’s a help or hindrance, having come so close in previous years. I’m just going to try to keep it simple – it’s all about hitting fairways and greens, and then hopefully holing a few putts. I’ll know not to panic if I do drop a few shots, because I’ve been over par in all three rounds but have managed to get it back. A fast start would be great, but if my game doesn’t click into gear straight away, it’s not the end of the world.”
A top five finish would in all probability hand McArthur a European Tour card for the first time, potentially at the expense of the man directly above him in the Rankings Peter Gustafsson of Sweden, who started the day in a tie for third but fell seven places after his round of 75.
England’s James Morrison, who currently occupies 17th place in the Rankings, is also in danger of slipping out of the top 20 after he dropped back to tied 25th with a round of 74. Sion E Bebb, one place above Morrison in the Rankings, is another who will be staring nervously over his shoulder, having slipped back to 22nd place after a round of 78 which included a triple bogey seven at the 14th.
Home hero and Challenge Tour Number One Edoardo Molinari leapt back in contention with a round of 69 to take a share of seventh place on one over par. Sweden’s Fredrik Andersson Hed, currently 32nd in the Rankings, shot the lowest round of the day – a 68 which included five birdies – to climb to sixth place on level par, raising the seemingly remote prospect of a late surge into the top 20.
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 213 (3x71)
209 R Davies (Wal) 71 69 69,
210 A McArthur (Sco) 70 70 70,
211 A Tampion (Aus) 70 66 75,
212 P Whiteford (Sco) 70 73 69, A Kaleka (Fra) 70 69 73,
213 F Andersson Hed (Swe) 72 73 68,
214 S Jeppesen (Swe) 72 71 71, E Molinari (Ita) 74 71 69, G Boyd (Eng) 72 73 69,
215 Å Nilsson (Swe) 75 71 69, P Gustafsson (Swe) 71 69 75, O Floren (Swe) 72 71 72, A Wagner (Arg) 74 72 69,
217 F Calmels (Fra) 71 74 72, J Guerrier (Fra) 70 75 72, C Gane (Eng) 70 75 72, A Butterfield (Eng) 70 74 73,
218 M Wiegele (Aut) 72 70 76, C Günther (Ger) 77 66 75, R Coles (Eng) 76 67 75, N Colsaerts (Bel) 76 72 70,
219 J Colomo (Esp) 74 71 74, A Hansen (Den) 72 72 75, S Bebb (Wal) 68 73 78,
220 J Morrison (Eng) 76 70 74, R Steiner (Aut) 75 72 73,
221 S Walker (Eng) 76 71 74,
222 E Ramsay (Sco) 77 73 72, M Zions (Aus) 75 72 75,
223 L James (Eng) 73 76 74,
224 J Lima (Por) 72 80 72, J Parry (Eng) 76 73 75,
225 S Manley (Wal) 71 80 74, J McLeary (Sco) 75 78 72, C Rodiles (Esp) 76 72 77,
226 F Fritsch (Ger) 77 79 70, R McEvoy (Eng) 78 72 76, J Quesne (Fra) 73 76 77, A Marshall (Eng) 71 78 77,
227 P Baker (Eng) 76 76 75,
228 L Gagli (Ita) 76 74 78,
230 G Paddison (Nzl) 80 72 78, A Gee (Eng) 77 78 75,
231 F Praegant (Aut) 77 74 80, M Tullo (Chi) 73 81 77
Labels: CHALLENGE TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Friday, October 30, 2009
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