Wednesday, August 11, 2010

GILES SETS CLUBHOUSE TARGET IN GLENMUIR PGA

FROM THE PGA WEBSITE
Rob Giles stormed into contention at the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship and then admitted his fate this week will decide whether he has another tilt at the Tour.
The Greenore pro compiled a superb six-under-par 66 at The Oxfordshire to post the clubhouse target at five under for the tournament at the halfway stage.

But afterwards Giles, who originally hails from Yorkshire, revealed how he fares in the £90,000 event, which is also supported by Peugeot and MPI Financial Services, will determine whether he takes the plunge at Tour School.

The 39-year-old has a Tour School entry form sitting in his County Louth home and a top five finish will prompt him to have a final stab at joining the elite ranks.

"I'm getting a little bit older, the years are catching up with me and I want to have one more go at Tour School if I do okay here," said Giles.

"I have the entry form at home which has to be in next week. If I finish top five I will have a go. It's my last chance, I've had three or four goes before but this is the last year I might have a go."

Giles has given up playing pro-ams to concentrate on his game and that decision has paid dividends with strong finishes in the Welsh and English PGA Championship where he was runner up.

He began the second day of the Glenmuir event at one over par but, beginning on the 10th hole, quickly made a move up the leaderboard with a rash of birdies, marred by just two dropped shots on the ninth and 12th holes.

Birdies came at the 10th with a brilliant approach to a foot, two big hits yielded birdies on the par five 11th and 17th holes while a 30-footer was a bonus on the tricky 18th.

But it was a bunker shot on the fifth that Giles savoured as his shot of the day.

"I had no room to play with, there was water behind me and I hit it to 10 feet and holed it for three," he said.

"ThAt kept the momentum going, I followed that up with birdies on six and seven, and rather than going backwards I went forwards."

He added: "The shape of the holes with big greens - it suits my eye perfectly. I tend to hit it left to right and every hole to me seems to be left to right. That's why Montgomerie always did well here.

"The only thing I'd like is it to blow a bit, to make it a little tougher. If there's no wind and sunshine you can shoot six, seven or eight under."

Matthew Griffiths from Oakdale in South Wales is two shots back at three under following a level par 72 to add to his first round 69 carved out in the worst of yesterday's conditions.

Griffiths is employing aggressive tactics in a bid to breakout of safety mode and is confident a good score is just round the corner.

"My goal coming into the Glenmuir was to attack the flags. I hit 15 greens yesterday and a similar number today but without anything dropping," he said.

"I feel everything is there in my game - I'm just waiting for something to happen."

Crue Elliott (Sandy Lodge) and John Wells (Cherry Burton) carded successive 71s to sit at two under while 2006 champion Paul Wesselingh (Kedleston Park) is back at level par for the tournament with a 70 alongside PGA Cup team-mate Jon Bevan (Wessex Golf Centre) among others.

The first round leaders are all afternoon starters with one of them - Cameron Clark (Moor Hall) dropping two shots early on.

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