Longmuir chasing Woburn leader Mason 

By RODDY WILLIAMS
European Tour website editor and senior press officer
Anglo-Scot Bill Longmuir is in the hunt for a ninth Senior Tour title but faces a tough challenge to catch leader Carl Mason with the Englishman chasing a record 24th title.
Longmuir carded a round of three under 69 over the Duke’s Course at Woburn with a bogey-birdie-bogey finish that leaves him three off the lead on six under par 138, but to catch Mason he will have to hope for more luck on the greens.
He said: “I am still striking the ball beautifully but need to hole a few more putts. I didn’t hole anything out there today but if I can get a few to drop I’ll be right there challenging.”
But Mason, who won the title in both 2006 and 2007, will look to make it a hat-trick and surpass Tommy Horton as the most prolific winner the Tour has known, having tied the record earlier this year with victory in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland.
Leading after round one, Mason recorded an eagle and two birdies in his first eleven holes, and after two back nine bogeys looked like upsetting an otherwise solid round, a birdie at 18 made sure he extended his lead going into the final round.
He said: “This place has been very kind to me and I hope it continues. It is a real test and you can’t relax for one second. There is danger with every shot but I just have a nice feel for the place. And if I was to notch that 24th win, there couldn’t be a better place to do it.”
Irishman Smyth had been tied with Mason after round one, and a very steady round of 71 leaves him just two behind and his nearest challengers.
It was not just the play of the leaders that caught the eye during this second round, with early fireworks in the shape of Martin Poxon’s double eagle run that saw him hole-in-one at the third and hole his second at the fourth.
The Englishman struggled other than that, but his close friend DJ Russell, upon hearing news of his accomplishment, went out and had a hole-in-one himself at the same hole, using it as the springboard to a six under to lie three back of Mason.
He said: “I was three under early on, then I was five, and suddenly a good round came out of it. Woburn has never been my favourite hunting ground as I tend to spend most of the day in the trees, but luckily today when I went in I had a shot out. Long may that continue.”
Defending Champion Tony Johnstone of Zimbabwe also had a good day shooting 68 to lie five back on four under par alongside debutant Gary Wolstenholme, England’s most capped amateur, who shot a 72, Welshman Ian Woosnam (72) and Scot Andrew Oldcorn (71) in a share of fifth place.

ROUND TWO TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
135 C Mason (England) 66 69,
137 D Smyth (Ireland) 66 71,
138 D Russell (England) 72 66, B Longmuir (Scotland) 69 69,
140 T Johnstone (Zimbabwe) 72 68, A Oldcorn (Scotland) 69 71, G Wolstenholme (England) 68 72, I Woosnam (Wales) 68 72
141 B Ruangkit (Tha) 72 69, J Bruner (US) 73 68, J Quiros (Spain) 71 70, B Lincoln (S Africa) 71 70, P Fowler (Australia) 71 70,
142 D O'Sullivan (Ireland) 72 70, A Sowa (Argentina) 70 72, J Heggarty (N Ireland) 71 71,
143 M Belsham (England) 72 71, L Carbonetti (Argentina) 73 70, S Owen (NZ) 71 72, D Durnian (England) 70 73, G Cali (Italy) 72 71, C Williams (S Africa) 72 71, M Farry (France) 72 71, R Chapman (England) 67 76, B Lane (England) 71 72, K Spurgeon (England) 74 69,
144 J Harrison (Eng) 74 70, D Merriman (Aus) 72 72, M Cunning (USA) 71 73,
145 J Hall (Eng) 72 73, S Torrance (Scotland) 73 72, D Cambridge (Jamaica) 73 72,
146 P Mitchell (Eng) 74 72, J Cañizares (Esp) 74 72, A Fernandez (Chi) 75 71, T Charnley (Eng) 73 73, B Smit (S Africa) 72 74, B Cameron (Eng) 71 75,
147 E Darcy (Irl) 72 75, E Rodriguez (Spain) 74 73, M Bembridge (Eng) 79 68, F Mann (Scotland) 76 71, J Gould (Eng) 73 74, P Oakley (US) 74 73,
148 M Poxon (Eng) 74 74, N Job (Eng) 76 72, G Brand junior (Scotland) 72 76, G Ryall (Eng) 75 73, M Harwood (Aus) 73 75, A Murray (Eng) 73 75,
149 R Drummond (Scotland) 74 75, J Rivero (Esp) 71 78, H Carbonetti (Arg) 72 77, G Banister (Aus) 73 76,
150 D Hospital (Spain) 76 74, P Barber (Eng) 74 76,
151 T Giedeon (Germany) 76 75, M Piñero (Spain) 78 73, I Mosey (Eng) 74 77, S Cipa (Eng) 74 77, J Chillas (Scotland) 79 72, M Gray (Scotland) 74 77,
153 N Ratcliffe (Aus) 76 77, J Hoskison (Eng) 76 77, V Garcia (Spain) 78 75,

154 S Bennett (Eng) 76 78, M Williams (Zimbabwe) 80 74, M Clayton (Aus) 77 77

155 G Brand (Eng) 79 76, D Johnson (US) 81 74,

156 M Miller (Scotland) 75 81, A Garrido (Spain) 80 76, J Rhodes (Eng) 79 77,

157 E Polland (N Ireland) 79 78,

158 G Ralph (Eng) 77 81, T Burgoyne (Sco) 79 79,

161 A Johnsson (Swe) 81 80,

** C O'Connor junior (Irl) 78 RT,