SICILIAN OPEN SPILLS OVER INTO MONDAY, JACQUELIN ONE AHEAD
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Raphaël Jacquelin had his lead at the Sicilian Open reduced from three to one late in the day as the final round spilled into Monday.
Two and a half hours of "dangerous weather" play suspension before the leaders had even teed off led to a Monday finish, and it promises to be an exciting one after the Frenchman bogeyed his final hole of the day.
The 36-year-old had been making serene progress in his search for a first European Tour title since 2007 up until that point, but his miss from six feet at the par-5 12th could prove crucial in the race to the €166,660 prize.
Anthony Wall remains Jacquelin’s nearest challenger at Donnafugata Golf Resort and Spa, the Englishman reaching ten under for the week with a birdie at the 12th before play was halted for the day.
Wall began the day by wiping out Jacquelin's one-stroke overnight lead with a birdie at the first.
But his playing partner was back in front with a gain of his own at the second. Jacquelin then birdied the fifth and splashed his third shot from the sand to four feet at the par five seventh.
Wall also birdied the seventh, but gave the shot back two holes later.
However, in rapidly deteriorating light there was a two-shot swing, leaving everything to play for over the closing six holes.
“It was a little bit frustrating to bogey the 12th before we finished there but it was actually a good bogey so I can’t have too many complaints,” said Jacquelin.
“I am two under for the round and have a one-shot lead so we will come back and do it all again in the morning. I played well though and holed more putts today even though it was difficult to get the pace of the greens because of the weather.”
Speaking of the delay which kept the leading groups off the course until mid-afternoon he added: “It was okay. It was long but the main thing that affects you in that situation is that fact that you are playing a round that you know you have no chance to finish.
“That is the toughest thing to deal with but I did that pretty well. Fourteen years on Tour makes you accept most of these things. I’ll be okay.”
Wall admitted that the late change of momentum had given him renewed hope.
“That was very important to have that two-shot swing because Raph has been exemplary for the last two days,” said Wall.
“He is striking the ball very well. He is on the money every time and I have to be honest and tell you that I am feeling a little bit rusty, having had the last three weeks off.
“I have let two or three shots go, which is unlike me, so for him to hit that hook on the 12th helped me a lot because he hasn’t had many like that.”
Wall, who has been aided with his putting by a 59 pence iphone application this week, admitted he has spent even less on a psychology lesson.
“I had a good chat to the wife this morning and she told me where I could improve in a couple of areas,” he added.
“She pointed a couple of things out and she was right and I think it helped me. I’m doing it on the cheap aren’t I? But it has helped and hopefully will do tomorrow.”
Third-placed Spain's Jose Manuel Lara was four under for his final round, thanks largely to a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth, but the Spaniard has just three holes left to play.
Sweden’s Joel Sjöholm is in fourth - and the clubhouse lead - on seven under par after a 69.
Scot Peter Whiteford is lying on five under par with three holes to complete on Monday morning. Whiteford birdied the fifth and ninth but bogeyed the 10th and 12th.
SCOTSWATCH
Lloyd Saltman completed his four rounds with a par-matching 71, which include two double bogeys and four birdies for a 72-hole total of four-over-par 288. Lloyd had too many double bogeys over the four days to get anywhere near mounting a challenge.
Alastair Forsyth at last produced the kind of round that reflects his talent - a six-under-par 65 for a final total of 282, the same as Stephen Gallacher who signed off with his best of the four days, a 69.
Forsyth had a bogey-free round studded by six birdies - the seventh, ninth, 10th, 12th, 14th and 16th. Alastair will be looking back and rueing a quadruple bogey 8 at the last on Saturday when he alsho had a double bogey on his card for the second day in a row.
Paul Lawrie disappointingly failed to break par in three of his four rounds, closing with a 72 for 285. He shot 140 (72-68) to beat the cut and then 145 total for the last two rounds.
A total of 285 was one better than Marc Warren who had a 71 for 286.
George Murray and Lloyd Saltman brought up the rear for the Scots who survived the halfway cut. He matched the par of 71 at the last time of asking for a total of 288.
Scott Jamieson came in with 70 for 279 which has him in joint second place overnight of those who have finished their four rounds.
Colin Montgormie's flu seemed to wear him down in the end. His last round of two-over-par 72 (for 282) was easily his worst of the four days - four-under 138 total for the first two rounds, two-over 144 for the third and fourth.
HOW THEY STAND - FOURTH ROUND (unfinished)
-11 after 12 Raphael Jacquelin (France).
-10 after 12 Anthony Wall (England).
-9 after 13 Jose Manuel Lara (Spain).
-6 after 11 Jamie Elson (England).
-5 after 16 Chris Wood (England).
-5 after 15 Simon Dyson (England).
-5 after 15 Peter Whiteford (Scotland).
-4 after 15 Robert Dinwiddie (England).
CLUBHOUSE LEADERS
Par 284
277 (-7) Joel Sjoholm (Sweden) 70 68 70 69.
279 Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) 71 71 69 68, Lorenzo Gagli (Italy) 72 69 69 69, Carlos Del Moral (Spain) 68 70 71 70, Scott Jamieson (Scotland) 71 70 68 70, Oscar Floren (Sweden) 69 68 71 71.
REST OF SCOTS' FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
Prizemoney in Euros they earned also listed
282 Alastair Forsyth 72 71 74 65, Stephen Gallacher 71 70 72 69, Colin Montgomerie 69 69 71 73 (T26) (9,050 each)
285 Paul Lawrie 72 68 73 72 (T45) (5,200).
286 Marc Warren 70 73 72 71 (T49) (3,900).
288 Lloyd Saltman 73 70 74 71, George Murray 74 69 72 73 (T61) (2,500 each).
CHECK OUT THE SCORES AND SCORECARDS ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
CLICK HERE
Raphaël Jacquelin had his lead at the Sicilian Open reduced from three to one late in the day as the final round spilled into Monday.
Two and a half hours of "dangerous weather" play suspension before the leaders had even teed off led to a Monday finish, and it promises to be an exciting one after the Frenchman bogeyed his final hole of the day.
The 36-year-old had been making serene progress in his search for a first European Tour title since 2007 up until that point, but his miss from six feet at the par-5 12th could prove crucial in the race to the €166,660 prize.
Anthony Wall remains Jacquelin’s nearest challenger at Donnafugata Golf Resort and Spa, the Englishman reaching ten under for the week with a birdie at the 12th before play was halted for the day.
Wall began the day by wiping out Jacquelin's one-stroke overnight lead with a birdie at the first.
But his playing partner was back in front with a gain of his own at the second. Jacquelin then birdied the fifth and splashed his third shot from the sand to four feet at the par five seventh.
Wall also birdied the seventh, but gave the shot back two holes later.
However, in rapidly deteriorating light there was a two-shot swing, leaving everything to play for over the closing six holes.
“It was a little bit frustrating to bogey the 12th before we finished there but it was actually a good bogey so I can’t have too many complaints,” said Jacquelin.
“I am two under for the round and have a one-shot lead so we will come back and do it all again in the morning. I played well though and holed more putts today even though it was difficult to get the pace of the greens because of the weather.”
Speaking of the delay which kept the leading groups off the course until mid-afternoon he added: “It was okay. It was long but the main thing that affects you in that situation is that fact that you are playing a round that you know you have no chance to finish.
“That is the toughest thing to deal with but I did that pretty well. Fourteen years on Tour makes you accept most of these things. I’ll be okay.”
Wall admitted that the late change of momentum had given him renewed hope.
“That was very important to have that two-shot swing because Raph has been exemplary for the last two days,” said Wall.
“He is striking the ball very well. He is on the money every time and I have to be honest and tell you that I am feeling a little bit rusty, having had the last three weeks off.
“I have let two or three shots go, which is unlike me, so for him to hit that hook on the 12th helped me a lot because he hasn’t had many like that.”
Wall, who has been aided with his putting by a 59 pence iphone application this week, admitted he has spent even less on a psychology lesson.
“I had a good chat to the wife this morning and she told me where I could improve in a couple of areas,” he added.
“She pointed a couple of things out and she was right and I think it helped me. I’m doing it on the cheap aren’t I? But it has helped and hopefully will do tomorrow.”
Third-placed Spain's Jose Manuel Lara was four under for his final round, thanks largely to a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth, but the Spaniard has just three holes left to play.
Sweden’s Joel Sjöholm is in fourth - and the clubhouse lead - on seven under par after a 69.
Scot Peter Whiteford is lying on five under par with three holes to complete on Monday morning. Whiteford birdied the fifth and ninth but bogeyed the 10th and 12th.
SCOTSWATCH
Lloyd Saltman completed his four rounds with a par-matching 71, which include two double bogeys and four birdies for a 72-hole total of four-over-par 288. Lloyd had too many double bogeys over the four days to get anywhere near mounting a challenge.
Alastair Forsyth at last produced the kind of round that reflects his talent - a six-under-par 65 for a final total of 282, the same as Stephen Gallacher who signed off with his best of the four days, a 69.
Forsyth had a bogey-free round studded by six birdies - the seventh, ninth, 10th, 12th, 14th and 16th. Alastair will be looking back and rueing a quadruple bogey 8 at the last on Saturday when he alsho had a double bogey on his card for the second day in a row.
Paul Lawrie disappointingly failed to break par in three of his four rounds, closing with a 72 for 285. He shot 140 (72-68) to beat the cut and then 145 total for the last two rounds.
A total of 285 was one better than Marc Warren who had a 71 for 286.
George Murray and Lloyd Saltman brought up the rear for the Scots who survived the halfway cut. He matched the par of 71 at the last time of asking for a total of 288.
Scott Jamieson came in with 70 for 279 which has him in joint second place overnight of those who have finished their four rounds.
Colin Montgormie's flu seemed to wear him down in the end. His last round of two-over-par 72 (for 282) was easily his worst of the four days - four-under 138 total for the first two rounds, two-over 144 for the third and fourth.
HOW THEY STAND - FOURTH ROUND (unfinished)
-11 after 12 Raphael Jacquelin (France).
-10 after 12 Anthony Wall (England).
-9 after 13 Jose Manuel Lara (Spain).
-6 after 11 Jamie Elson (England).
-5 after 16 Chris Wood (England).
-5 after 15 Simon Dyson (England).
-5 after 15 Peter Whiteford (Scotland).
-4 after 15 Robert Dinwiddie (England).
CLUBHOUSE LEADERS
Par 284
277 (-7) Joel Sjoholm (Sweden) 70 68 70 69.
279 Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) 71 71 69 68, Lorenzo Gagli (Italy) 72 69 69 69, Carlos Del Moral (Spain) 68 70 71 70, Scott Jamieson (Scotland) 71 70 68 70, Oscar Floren (Sweden) 69 68 71 71.
REST OF SCOTS' FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
Prizemoney in Euros they earned also listed
282 Alastair Forsyth 72 71 74 65, Stephen Gallacher 71 70 72 69, Colin Montgomerie 69 69 71 73 (T26) (9,050 each)
285 Paul Lawrie 72 68 73 72 (T45) (5,200).
286 Marc Warren 70 73 72 71 (T49) (3,900).
288 Lloyd Saltman 73 70 74 71, George Murray 74 69 72 73 (T61) (2,500 each).
CHECK OUT THE SCORES AND SCORECARDS ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
CLICK HERE
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, March 20, 2011
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