McArthur and Whiteford like it hot in Toulouse

FROM PAUL SYMES, CHALLENGE TOUR PRESS OFFICER
Before a lightning storm brought a premature halt to the opening day’s play of the ALLIANZ Golf Open Grand Toulouse, Andrew McArthur and Peter Whiteford posted morning rounds of 65 to close to within one shot of clubhouse leaders Matthew Zions and Antti Ahokas.
Play was suspended just after 6pm local time, meaning the 33 players still out on the course will have to return to complete their rounds at 8.30am tomorrow morning. But McArthur and Whiteford can enjoy a sound night’s sleep after posting their lowest opening rounds of the season.
The two Scots suffered contrasting fortunes last week in Denmark, where McArthur missed the cut after being blown off course by high winds, whilst Whiteford finished in the top ten for the second successive week after he was the only player to shoot below par on the final day.
But both players took advantage of benign morning conditions at Golf de Tolouse-Seilh in south west France to move to seven under par, one shot shy of Ahokas and Zions, who both posted eagles in their rounds of 64.
McArthur and Whiteford also carded eagles, at the 11th and eighth holes respectively, which in McArthur’s case helped him come home in 30.
The Glaswegian, currently 19th in the Rankings and therefore hopeful of securing a European Tour card for the first time, credited the hot weather – and an even hotter putter – for his improved display.
His sole dropped shot came at the eighth, where he hit his drive out of bounds. But he soon recovered with a birdie at the ninth, where his approach shot actually landed in the hole, before bouncing out and stopping six feet from the pin.
He said: “I still hit a lot of bad shots today, but unlike last week you can get away with it a lot more on this course, because the rough’s not too penal. My putting was also tremendous today, so that got me out of trouble a couple of times.
"I think I probably only missed about three putts from inside ten feet all day. I putted really well here last year too, so I don’t know whether it’s just a course where you get a feel for the greens, but I can read the breaks really easily here for some reason.
“So I’m definitely enjoying here more than last week in Denmark. I’m not sure whether I’ve got bad circulation, but my hands get so cold when the weather’s bad. Because I can’t feel them properly, I can’t turn properly and my timing goes completely. I should probably be used to it living in Scotland, but if it’s cold back home I just don’t go out! So I was able to write last week of pretty quickly, and get myself ready for these last three weeks.
“Obviously I’m determined to finish in the top 20 this year, having come so close in previous years. But I can’t afford to think about it too much. I’ve just got to keep playing sensibly, attacking the flags where it’s possible, and just going for the middle of the greens where it’s not. If I can do that and not make too many mistakes here and in the last two weeks, hopefully it’ll be good enough.”
Whiteford has previous European Tour experience, having earned his card in 2008 after finishing 13th in the 2007 Challenge Tour Rankings thanks largely to two victories.
Currently 16th in the Rankings with earnings of €53,102, Whiteford has calculated he would probably need to collect another €12,000 to earn a second bit at the cherry.
He said: “I was very pleased with my final round in Denmark last week, so I carried the confidence that gave me into this week. I hit the ball very well today and only missed one green, so I never really looked in danger of dropping a shot at any point. Apart from the eagle at the eighth I didn’t take advantage of the par fives, so if I can do that tomorrow hopefully I can go low again.
“It was good to play well because it’s been a bit for a scramble for me over the past couple of weeks, although the pleasing thing is that I still managed to finish in the top ten. I set myself the goal at the start of the season of finishing in the top ten of the Rankings, but I’d definitely take top 15 now. You never know who’s going to do what, but if I can earn another €12,000 in the next couple of weeks, hopefully that should be enough. But I’m trying not to think too much about it, because you can tie yourself in knots thinking about the whys and wherefores. I’ve just got to shoot as low as possible over the next three days, and see where it takes me.”
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72
64 A Ahokas, M Zions.
65 M Wiegele, P Whiteford, A McArthur, S Manley.
66 C Monastero, J Parry, A Marshall, M Reale, S Walker.
Selected scores:
73 Raymond Russell.
Also:
Jamie McLeary -2 after 15 holes completed.
Scott Jamieson -1 after 15 holes completed.