A TOUCH OF FROST IN MAURITIUS

From Michael Gibbons
European Senior Tour Press Officer
David Frost’s magnificent second-round performance today at the Mauritius Commercial Bank Open saw the South African take control of the tournament and set up a potentially perfect ending to a sensational first season in the Senior ranks.
Frost began the day three strokes behind overnight leader Gary Wolstenholme but after a masterful display of shot-making around the testing Legends Course at Constance Belle Mare Plage that saw him produce a ten birdies and two bogeys in a sparkling eight under 64, he finished the second round two shots clear of Wolstenholme.
Having won on the Champions Tour in America and finished second in the US Senior PGA Championship, Frost is now poised to make his victory breakthrough on the European Senior Tour if he can hold off Wolstenholme and a chasing pack that includes the English duo of Roger Chapman and Barry Lane.
The South African is lying on ten under par 134, with Wolstenholme two shots back and Chapman four off the pace. Lane is joined by Argentina’s Adan Sowa on four under, with Frenchman Marc Farry and the South African duo of Bertus Smit and Steve Van Vuuren
“I played great today,” said Frost. “I hit the ball very well and hit it in pretty close for a few nice short birdie putts. It was one of those days when the main thing I had to focus on was the mental approach – staying out of my own way mentally and continuing to commit to my shots and my lines because I was striking the ball so well.
“It would be great to win tomorrow – it would be a very nice way to end what has already been a great season for me with winning in America and finishing second in a Major. It has been good to do so well in my first full year on the Senior Tour and I have definitely rediscovered my game and my desire to win after thinking that I was finished a few years ago.
“I have the hunger back and some big goals for next year – I would love to win a Senior Major, the British Open or US Open would be top of the list and then to try and win the Senior Tour money list as well.”
Wolstenholme will certainly make Frost earn his victory in Sunday’s Final round. The tenacious Englishman, himself a new boy in the Senior ranks, has made a fantastic start to his new career with a victory and two top three finishes in just eight events.
He hopes to add another title to his CV tomorrow but is fully aware that he will need to be at his very best to overcome an in-form Frost and the sweet-swinging Chapman.
“Tomorrow is a big day for me and I hope that I can continue to do what I have done for the past few days and indeed try to do throughout my career,” said Wolstenholme, who turned a four-shot deficit to two by birdieing his last two holes of round two.
“I need to hit my fairways and greens and try and make a fast start because I am up against two fantastic players in David and Roger.
“David is a class act and Roger is, in my opinion, the best swinger of a golf club out here. I am lucky to be able to play against these guys but I do have to get all of those thoughts out of my mind and focus on what I need to do.”
Chapman is in with an outside chance of victory. He will enter the final round four shots behind Frost but will take an aggressive approach onto the Legends Course having finished his second round with three birdies on the spin.
“I’ll need to be aggressive if I want to have a chance of catching Frosty,” smiled Chapman. “I’m just going to out there and go for it – I have nothing to lose and if I can putt the way I did for the last three holes today then I have a chance of going low because I am hitting the ball very nicely.”
SCOREBOARD
SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72). Yardage: 6,584.
134 D Frost (RSA) 70 64
136 G Wolstenholme (Eng) 67 69

138 R Chapman (Eng) 71 67

140 B Lane (Eng) 73 67; A Sowa (Arg) 72 68

141 B Smit (RSA) 70 71; M Farry (Fra) 72 69; S Van Vuuren (RSA) 71 70;

142 J Harrison (Eng) 71 71; D Johnson (USA) 70 72; N Job (Eng) 69 73; G Banister (Aus) 71 71; C Rocca (Ita) 70 72

143 S Torrance (Sco) 68 75; S Bennett (Eng) 69 74; D O'Sullivan (Irl) 74 69; R Drummond (Sco) 73 70; B Longmuir (Sco) 69 74; J Quiros (Esp) 72 71

144 G Cali (Ita) 75 69; J Stuart (USA) 70 74; J Bruner (US) 71 73; G Brand (Eng) 73 71; D Merriman (Aus) 68 76

145 P Allan (Eng) 69 76; B Ruangkit (Tha) 73 72; G Ralph (Eng) 69 76; M Kierstenson (Eng) 74 71; F Illouz (Fra) 73 72; J Heggarty (Nir) 75 70;

146 G Ryall (Eng) 69 77; M Belsham (Eng) 73 73

147 M Cunning (USA) 77 70; M Bembridge (Eng) 74 73; S Cipa (Eng) 75 72; K Spurgeon (Eng) 76 71; J Chillas (Sco) 71 76

148 D Durnian (Eng) 74 74; P Dugeny (Fra) 73 75

149 J Sallat (Fra) 76 73; C Williams (RSA) 73 76; J Gould (Eng) 74 75; J Rivero (Esp) 74 75; B Lincoln (RSA) 71 78

150 M Williams (Zim) 73 77; M Gray (Sco) 75 75; M Briggs (Eng) 77 73; F Mann (Sco) 74 76

151 J Hall (Eng) 77 74; A Garrido (Esp) 75 76; G Watine (Fra) 80 71; P Harrison (Eng) 73 78; T Giedeon (Ger) 73 78; T Burgoyne (Sco) 75 76

152 G Davies (Wal) 74 78

153 J Stansberry (USA) 75 78; M Miller (Sco) 73 80; V Garcia (Esp) 79 74; B Hardwick (Can) 79 74

154 D Cambridge (Jam) 79 75; T Jones (US) 80 74

155 T Charnley (Eng) 76 79

157 P Dahlberg (Swe) 76 81; S Shields (Eng) 81 76

158 N Clarke (RSA) 82 76; R Stelten (US) 74 84; C Linstead (Eng) 80 78; B Stevens (Eng) 78 80

159 D Young (Eng) 80 79

161 I Espitalier Noel (Mus) 83 78
168 I Dougan (Sco) 85 83