AUSTRIAN BRIER TAKES OVER LEAD AT QATAR MASTERS
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Austria’s Markus Brier shot a brilliant 66 to lead former winner Darren Fichardt by a shot at the halfway stage of the Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy today.
A two-time European Tour winner, Brier had to go back to Qualifying School last November to retain his European Tour card and is playing this week on a sponsor’s invite.
And he grabbed the opportunity with both hands, building on his opening 71 with a round including six unanswered birdies to reach seven under for the tournament.
“I could see in the morning it was a little less wind, and so obviously the opportunities were there,” said Brier.
“I kept the ball in play and holed a few two or three really long putts, and that obviously makes the difference between a good and very good round. I didn't make mistakes.
“I was lucky on nine - my last hole - with a wayward drive and made birdie out of it, so that's like a two shot win there. The rest was pretty solid. It's great to be up there again and hopefully it stays like this.”
The 42 year old was 137th on last year’s Race to Dubai - his worst finish since joining the European Tour in 2000 – and the World Number 478 admitted the trip back to Qualifying School may have done him good.
“At the end of the season, I really had to go back to my roots and play Qualifying School,” he added. “I knew I had to start all over again, and fortunately I made it at Qualifying School.
“The first week was pretty good in East London. I was up there again and that helped build up confidence. I just feel more comfortable, and I got my head really on the golf and not so much on other things or bad things like last year.”
Fichardt, a winner here in 2003, moved into second place with a round of 68, with defending champion Robert Karlsson, England’s Richard Finch and Dane Thomas Björn tied for third on five under.
First-round leader Retief Goosen was still setting the pace with two holes to go, but while Brier was finishing with a 35ft birdie putt, the 2007 champion double-bogeyed the short 17th and fell back to four under.
Björn’s seven under 65 was the best of the day and the former Ryder Cup star was delighted with his form.
“It was one of those days where golf seemed a bit easier than it does on normal days,” he said.
“I got off to a fantastic start, two under through six. Even when I hit a few iffy shots, I got away with it.
“It was one of those days where everything just went my way, and I putted well. I had some great chances coming down the stretch to go even lower, but golf just seemed simple today.”
World No 1 Lee Westwood and Paul Casey, the winner in Bahrain on Sunday, both shot 75 to miss the cut by one and two strokes respectively. It was the first cut Westwood had missed in just over 12 months - last year's Abu Dhabi championship was the last occasion.
Westwood's 30ft eagle attempt on the last to stay alive hovered on the edge, but did not drop.
His exit gives Martin Kaymer the chance to take over at the top of the rankings after he improved seven shots on his first day 77.
The German needs to finish first or second on Sunday, though, and entering the weekend he is ten adrift of Brier.
FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
Paul, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, had a bogey 6 at the long first but birdied the second, fourth, seventh, short eighth, 11th, short 13th, 16th and 18th in halves of 33.
His only other bogey was at the 12th.
Lawrie is three off the pace on 140.
Gary Orr was the only Scot who failed to beat the cut (147 or better qualified).
David Drysdale has had a pair of 71s for 142 and a share of 10th place. He had a strong finish of birdie-birdie-bogey-birdie.
Steven O'Hara is on the same 142 mark with a second-round 69 in which he covered the last few holes in three-under-par with birdies at the 13th, 15th and 16th.
Richie Ramsay, Peter Whiteford and Stephen Gallacher are all bracketed on 33rd place with 145. Ramsey and Whiteford had 70s today, Gallacher a 73.
Andrew Coltart scraped through with a shot to spare of 146 with a second-round 72.
Gary Orr missed out by one with scores of 73 and 75.
LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
137 Markus Brier (Austria) 71 66.
138 Darren Fichardt (S Africa) 70 68.
139 Thomas Bjorn (Demark) 74 65, Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 70 69, Richard Finch (England) 70 69.
140 Thomas Aiken (S Africa) 71 69, Paul Lawrie (Scotland) 74 66, Retief Goosen (S Africa) 69 71.
OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
142 David Drysdale 71 71, Steven O'Hara 73 69 (T10).
145 Richie Ramsay 75 70, Peter Whiteford 75 70, Stephen Gallacher 72 73 (T33).
146 Andrew Coltart 74 72 (T47).
MISSED THE CUT (147 or better qualified)
148 Gary Orr 73 75
FOR ALL THE SCORES ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
CLICK HERE
Austria’s Markus Brier shot a brilliant 66 to lead former winner Darren Fichardt by a shot at the halfway stage of the Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy today.
A two-time European Tour winner, Brier had to go back to Qualifying School last November to retain his European Tour card and is playing this week on a sponsor’s invite.
And he grabbed the opportunity with both hands, building on his opening 71 with a round including six unanswered birdies to reach seven under for the tournament.
“I could see in the morning it was a little less wind, and so obviously the opportunities were there,” said Brier.
“I kept the ball in play and holed a few two or three really long putts, and that obviously makes the difference between a good and very good round. I didn't make mistakes.
“I was lucky on nine - my last hole - with a wayward drive and made birdie out of it, so that's like a two shot win there. The rest was pretty solid. It's great to be up there again and hopefully it stays like this.”
The 42 year old was 137th on last year’s Race to Dubai - his worst finish since joining the European Tour in 2000 – and the World Number 478 admitted the trip back to Qualifying School may have done him good.
“At the end of the season, I really had to go back to my roots and play Qualifying School,” he added. “I knew I had to start all over again, and fortunately I made it at Qualifying School.
“The first week was pretty good in East London. I was up there again and that helped build up confidence. I just feel more comfortable, and I got my head really on the golf and not so much on other things or bad things like last year.”
Fichardt, a winner here in 2003, moved into second place with a round of 68, with defending champion Robert Karlsson, England’s Richard Finch and Dane Thomas Björn tied for third on five under.
First-round leader Retief Goosen was still setting the pace with two holes to go, but while Brier was finishing with a 35ft birdie putt, the 2007 champion double-bogeyed the short 17th and fell back to four under.
Björn’s seven under 65 was the best of the day and the former Ryder Cup star was delighted with his form.
“It was one of those days where golf seemed a bit easier than it does on normal days,” he said.
“I got off to a fantastic start, two under through six. Even when I hit a few iffy shots, I got away with it.
“It was one of those days where everything just went my way, and I putted well. I had some great chances coming down the stretch to go even lower, but golf just seemed simple today.”
World No 1 Lee Westwood and Paul Casey, the winner in Bahrain on Sunday, both shot 75 to miss the cut by one and two strokes respectively. It was the first cut Westwood had missed in just over 12 months - last year's Abu Dhabi championship was the last occasion.
Westwood's 30ft eagle attempt on the last to stay alive hovered on the edge, but did not drop.
His exit gives Martin Kaymer the chance to take over at the top of the rankings after he improved seven shots on his first day 77.
The German needs to finish first or second on Sunday, though, and entering the weekend he is ten adrift of Brier.
FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
Lee Westwood has missed the cut at the Qatar Masters with a 3-over 75 Friday, a day after shooting a 73 in the wind. The Englishman's struggles in Qatar follows a 64th-place finish in last month's European Tour event in Abu Dhabi.
Westwood attributed his poor showing in Qatar to "early-season rust." He expects to improve at next week's Dubai Desert Classic because the course suits him better.
SCOTSWATCH: Paul Lawrie goes into the second half of the tournament - of which he is a previous winner - in joint sixth place after a brilliant round of six-under-par 66, the same score as Markus Brier, the tournament leader.Westwood attributed his poor showing in Qatar to "early-season rust." He expects to improve at next week's Dubai Desert Classic because the course suits him better.
Paul, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, had a bogey 6 at the long first but birdied the second, fourth, seventh, short eighth, 11th, short 13th, 16th and 18th in halves of 33.
His only other bogey was at the 12th.
Lawrie is three off the pace on 140.
Gary Orr was the only Scot who failed to beat the cut (147 or better qualified).
David Drysdale has had a pair of 71s for 142 and a share of 10th place. He had a strong finish of birdie-birdie-bogey-birdie.
Steven O'Hara is on the same 142 mark with a second-round 69 in which he covered the last few holes in three-under-par with birdies at the 13th, 15th and 16th.
Richie Ramsay, Peter Whiteford and Stephen Gallacher are all bracketed on 33rd place with 145. Ramsey and Whiteford had 70s today, Gallacher a 73.
Andrew Coltart scraped through with a shot to spare of 146 with a second-round 72.
Gary Orr missed out by one with scores of 73 and 75.
LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
137 Markus Brier (Austria) 71 66.
138 Darren Fichardt (S Africa) 70 68.
139 Thomas Bjorn (Demark) 74 65, Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 70 69, Richard Finch (England) 70 69.
140 Thomas Aiken (S Africa) 71 69, Paul Lawrie (Scotland) 74 66, Retief Goosen (S Africa) 69 71.
OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
142 David Drysdale 71 71, Steven O'Hara 73 69 (T10).
145 Richie Ramsay 75 70, Peter Whiteford 75 70, Stephen Gallacher 72 73 (T33).
146 Andrew Coltart 74 72 (T47).
MISSED THE CUT (147 or better qualified)
148 Gary Orr 73 75
FOR ALL THE SCORES ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
CLICK HERE
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Friday, February 04, 2011
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home