JIMENEZ SHARES LEAD DESPITE BREAKING PUTTER IN TWO
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Eight players are separated by a single shot at the halfway stage of the Volvo Golf Champions tournament in Bahrain - and one of them got there with his putter in two pieces.
A moment of frustration after a succession of misses might have cost 47-year- old Miguel Angel Jimenez dear, but in a remarkable closing stretch the Spanish Ryder Cup player, had a hat-trick of birdies using his lob-wedge instead.
Round in a seven under par 65, the Spaniard goes into the weekend on the 11 under mark of 133 and sharing top spot with Ryder Cup team-mates Peter Hanson and Edoardo Molinari and also Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin.
Former Ryder Cup pair Darren Clarke and Paul Casey, South African James Kingston and Scot Stephen Gallacher are right on their heels, Gallacher following a course record-equalling 64.
Clarke took great delight in telling how playing partner Jimenez "just caught the edge of his bag" with the putter, adding that his backswing was "a bit long."
The Malaga golfer was in the mood to laugh about it as well, though, after picking up shots at the 15th, 16th and 17th.
"I think now I putt with my lob-wedge," he joked.
In contrast Molinari's start made his day. He birdied the first six holes and closed with another for a 65 as he looked for a win that could take him back above his brother Francesco on the Official World Golf Ranking.
And that is saying something,m given that Francesco, himself well in the hunt at nine under, is currently ranked 15th.
Jacquelin also shot 65, while Hanson added a 67 to his opening 66 as fellow Swede Johan Edfors, the overnight leader, fell back with a 71.
Sergio Garcia, playing his first event of the year, is in the group just three behind after a roller-coaster 69, but Padraig Harrington still has six shots to make up and Colin Montgomerie made the cut with only a stroke to spare at three under.
Montgomerie is the course designer of this new European Tour venue.
Casey would have been tied at the top but for a bogey on the 17th, yet it was a good bogey. After driving into the water he chipped in.
"I don't have very good control of the ball," he said. "That tee shot was horrific and I'm not sure what direction it's going.
"I gave myself opportunities when I could find it. Luckily the course is generous in places and you can get away with it - I showed that."
Gallacher commented: "I was eating breakfast when I saw Molinari had started with six birdies, so I knew it was on."
He matched the first five of them and after a bogey on the 18th came home in 32.
Garcia dropped from nine under to six under with a double bogey on the 474 yd 15th - he hit his approach into the lake - and bogey on the short next, but finished with two birdies.
The cut survivors on two-under-par 142 or better are joined for the third round by amateurs, for what will be a team event.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
TO READ ALL THE SECOND-ROUND TOTALS AND CHECK OUT
THE SCORECARDS ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
CLICK HERE
Par 144 (2x72)
133 Edoardo Molinari (Italy) 68 65, Raphael Jacquelin (France) 68 65, Miguel A Jemenez (Spain) 68 65, Peter Hanson (Sweden) 66 67.
134 James Kingston (S Africa) 67 67, Stephen Gallacher (Scotland) 70 64, Darren Clarke (N Ireland, Paul Casey (England) 67 67.
SCOTS' SCORES
140 Richie Ramsay 72 68 (jt 44th).
142 Gary Orr 71 70, Colin Montgomerie 72 69, Paul Lawrie 68 73 (jt 50th).
MISSED THE CUT (142 or better qualified)
147 Marc Warren 74 73 (jt 90th)
Eight players are separated by a single shot at the halfway stage of the Volvo Golf Champions tournament in Bahrain - and one of them got there with his putter in two pieces.
A moment of frustration after a succession of misses might have cost 47-year- old Miguel Angel Jimenez dear, but in a remarkable closing stretch the Spanish Ryder Cup player, had a hat-trick of birdies using his lob-wedge instead.
Round in a seven under par 65, the Spaniard goes into the weekend on the 11 under mark of 133 and sharing top spot with Ryder Cup team-mates Peter Hanson and Edoardo Molinari and also Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin.
Former Ryder Cup pair Darren Clarke and Paul Casey, South African James Kingston and Scot Stephen Gallacher are right on their heels, Gallacher following a course record-equalling 64.
Clarke took great delight in telling how playing partner Jimenez "just caught the edge of his bag" with the putter, adding that his backswing was "a bit long."
The Malaga golfer was in the mood to laugh about it as well, though, after picking up shots at the 15th, 16th and 17th.
"I think now I putt with my lob-wedge," he joked.
In contrast Molinari's start made his day. He birdied the first six holes and closed with another for a 65 as he looked for a win that could take him back above his brother Francesco on the Official World Golf Ranking.
And that is saying something,m given that Francesco, himself well in the hunt at nine under, is currently ranked 15th.
Jacquelin also shot 65, while Hanson added a 67 to his opening 66 as fellow Swede Johan Edfors, the overnight leader, fell back with a 71.
Sergio Garcia, playing his first event of the year, is in the group just three behind after a roller-coaster 69, but Padraig Harrington still has six shots to make up and Colin Montgomerie made the cut with only a stroke to spare at three under.
Montgomerie is the course designer of this new European Tour venue.
Casey would have been tied at the top but for a bogey on the 17th, yet it was a good bogey. After driving into the water he chipped in.
"I don't have very good control of the ball," he said. "That tee shot was horrific and I'm not sure what direction it's going.
"I gave myself opportunities when I could find it. Luckily the course is generous in places and you can get away with it - I showed that."
Gallacher commented: "I was eating breakfast when I saw Molinari had started with six birdies, so I knew it was on."
He matched the first five of them and after a bogey on the 18th came home in 32.
Garcia dropped from nine under to six under with a double bogey on the 474 yd 15th - he hit his approach into the lake - and bogey on the short next, but finished with two birdies.
The cut survivors on two-under-par 142 or better are joined for the third round by amateurs, for what will be a team event.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
TO READ ALL THE SECOND-ROUND TOTALS AND CHECK OUT
THE SCORECARDS ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
CLICK HERE
Par 144 (2x72)
133 Edoardo Molinari (Italy) 68 65, Raphael Jacquelin (France) 68 65, Miguel A Jemenez (Spain) 68 65, Peter Hanson (Sweden) 66 67.
134 James Kingston (S Africa) 67 67, Stephen Gallacher (Scotland) 70 64, Darren Clarke (N Ireland, Paul Casey (England) 67 67.
SCOTS' SCORES
140 Richie Ramsay 72 68 (jt 44th).
142 Gary Orr 71 70, Colin Montgomerie 72 69, Paul Lawrie 68 73 (jt 50th).
MISSED THE CUT (142 or better qualified)
147 Marc Warren 74 73 (jt 90th)
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Friday, January 28, 2011
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