ITALIAN LEADS ENGLAND'S CARRIS TROPHY BOYS BY THREE SHOTS

FROM THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
While Irish eyes were smiling at The Open on Sunday, it was the Italians who were grinning broadly at Broadstone with Corrado De Stefani, Giulio Castagnara and Edoardo Torrieri in the leading eight of the Carris Trophy, supported by Titleist, at the halfway point. They also won the Nations Cup.
After a wet day on the South Coast, De Stefani leads on 135, five under par, after a second round 68, by three strokes from England boy cap Nathan Kimsey with 67, while Torreiri returned 68 and Castagnara 69 for joint fifth place on level-par 140.
De Stefani, who led by one overnight, made a blistering start with birdies at the first two holes. “I felt under pressure this morning but after the two opening birdies I could relax,” he said.
Although he suffered his two dropped shots on the front nine, he cancelled them with two more birdies on the homeward stretch.
“I’ve been playing well but the key today was my putter,” he added. “It worked well and the toughest part of this course is the greens. If you can master them you can go low.”
The 18 year old from Biella in northern Italy speaks fluent English and he admitted he was proud to be leading despite very un-Italian style conditions. “I don’t like the rain but it’s O.K. I prefer the sunshine.”
Kimsey, a late starter, shot 67 thanks to five birdies, coming home in 33 strokes, while joint third are boy cap Oliver Carr and under 16 international Matthew Fitzpatrick
Carr might have finished closer to the leader if he hadn’t taken a double bogey six at the 14th in his 69.
“The round could have been much better,” he conceded. “But I made a great start with an eagle-three at the first and I played solidly throughout.”
Carr’s eagle was even more remarkable as he fired his drive into trees then hit a rescue club to 20 feet and holed the putt from just off the green.
Fitzpatrick also started with an eagle-three and dropped a shot at the seventh. Otherwise he reeled of 16 pars to complete his card of 69.
Another boy international, Max Orrin, joint second overnight, was also heading up the leaderboard, getting to four under through 14 holes. But he surrendered that advantage over the closing stretch, finishing double bogey-bogey-par-bogey for 72 and level par for the tournament.
His Achilles Heel was too many three-putts. “I just lost the pace of the greens over the last few holes,” admitted the lad from Kent.
The best round of the day, a five-under-par 65, was returned by Surrey’s Greg Payne. It included seven birdies, three in a row from the fifth, and a back nine of 31.
“After shooting 76 yesterday, I had to do something,” he said. “I didn’t let the rain affect me and the secret was good course management. I was patient on the greens and I knew that if I got the momentum going I could build on it and I did.
“I want to win so I’ll have to do two more rounds like that,” he admitted.
It leaves the left-hander on 141 alongside defending champion Callum Shinkwin who was not happy despite signing for 69.
“Nothing dropped for me,” he lamented. “I played good but the putts wouldn’t drop. I left four in the jaws so I’m not happy. I’d love to win again and do the double because not many achieve that.”
The halfway cut came at 147, seven over par, with 62 players going forward to the final two rounds.
The Nations Cup, decided over the first two rounds, was won by Italy 1 on 275 by a shot from England 2 with Italy 2 on 287 and England 1 on 288.

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