FERNANDEZ RIGHT AWAY FROM THE BAD RAGAZ FIELD

By SARAH GWYNN
European Tour Press Officer
Chilean Angel Fernandez is on course for his first European Senior Tour title after a seven-under par 63 in the second round of the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open in Switzerland gave him a five-shot lead with 18 holes to play.
Fernandez followed up his first-round 61, which equalled the course record, with another flawless display, carding birdies at the fourth, sixth, tenth, 13th, 14th, 17th and 18th holes.
Austrian Claude Grenier reached 11 under with a 65, while Scot Andrew Oldcorn is another shot back at ten under following a 66 and Peter Fowler of Australia, who shot 65, is at nine under.
Oldcorn retains some hope of catching his rival in the final round, but knows he will have to improve his putting to have any chance of doing so.
“It was up and down today and I was disappointed to finish with a bogey,” said the Senior Tour rookie. “Angel holed lots of putts and I missed loads, so that was the difference between us. I couldn’t get near him.
“But tomorrow is a different matter. He will be nervous and I’ve got nothing to lose. I just need to master a way of getting the ball in the hole. You can’t be too aggressive on this course, but there are plenty of chances if you are patient. If I can get out of the blocks quickly and put some pressure on him, it might give me a chance.
“I’m playing pretty solid and I’m happy with the way I’m hitting it. Like I said, it’s just the putting.”
Reigning Senior Tour Order of Merit champion Boonchu Ruangkit was some way off the pace, tied 22nd after rounds of 67 and 70, and Sam Torrance, the man Ruangkit succeeded as winner of the John Jacobs Trophy, is tied 28th following rounds of 68 and 70.
Defending champion Carl Mason, who has claimed the title three times in the past four years, was forced to retire from the first round with a back injury.
SCOREBOARD
Par 140 (2x70)
124 A Fernandez (Chi) 61 63
129 C Grenier (Aut) 64 65
130 A Oldcorn (Sco) 64 66
131 P Fowler (Aus) 66 65
133 A Sowa (Arg) 68 65, G Wolstenholme (Eng) 68 65, D Johnson (USA) 67 66,
134 F Mann (Sco) 65 69, G Banister (Aus) 66 68, C Williams (RSA) 65 69,
135 T Thelen (USA) 69 66, M Belsham (Eng) 66 69, B Lane (Eng) 68 67, J Quiros (Esp) 65 70, B Cameron (Eng) 69 66, C Rocca (Ita) 69 66, A Sherborne (Eng) 65 70, G Ryall (Eng) 67 68,
136 E Rodriguez (Esp) 67 69, M James (Eng) 70 66, G Manson (Aut) 68 68,
137 K Tomori (Jpn) 68 69, J Bruner (USA) 68 69, B Ruangkit (Tha) 67 70, B Longmuir (Sco) 68 69, G Brand (Eng) 71 66, M Farry (Fra) 67 70,
138 S Torrance (Sco) 68 70, H Carbonetti (Arg) 70 68, K Spurgeon (Eng) 68 70, D Durnian (Eng) 71 67, D Smyth (Irl) 68 70,
139 M Cunning (USA) 69 70, D Merriman (Aus) 69 70, D O'Sullivan (Irl) 69 70, M Harwood (Aus) 68 71
140 N Job (Eng) 71 69, G Cali (Ita) 70 70, R Davis (Aus) 69 71, J Rhodes (Eng) 70 70, G Ralph (Eng) 70 70, J Bland (RSA) 72 68, A Franco (Par) 72 68
141 D Russell (Eng) 71 70, P Dahlberg (Swe) 74 67, M Clayton (Aus) 69 72, B Lincoln (RSA) 66 75, J Heggarty (Nir) 70 71
142 J Stuart (USA) 71 71, J Gould (Eng) 72 70, L Carbonetti (Arg) 72 70, B Smit (RSA) 72 70, P Mitchell (Eng) 71 71, J Harrison (Eng) 69 73, D Cambridge (Jam) 71 71, J Chillas (Sco) 71 71
143 S Van Vuuren (RSA) 67 76
144 T Charnley (Eng) 72 72, M Piñero (Esp) 74 70, J Stansberry (USA) 75 69
146 N Ratcliffe (Aus) 73 73, H Schumacher (Sui) 71 75, M Moreno (Esp) 73 73
147 V Garcia (Esp) 75 72, T Price (Wal) 74 73
148 M Miller (Sco) 74 74
149 A Garrido (Esp) 74 75, D Creamer (Eng) 74 75, E Polland (Nir) 74 75
153 I Mosey (Eng) 76 77
Withdrew: M Bembridge (Eng).
Retired: C Mason (Eng)