AMERICAN UIHLEIN MOVES A SHOT CLEAR IN SPANISH OPEN

REPORT BY EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Former US Amateur Champion Peter Uihlein made a late charge to the top of the leaderboard on the second day of the Open de España as a four under par 68 moved him one shot clear of the chasing pack.

The in-form American rallied towards the end of his round with birdies at the 14^th, 15^th and 17^th , after reaching the turn in two under before dropping a shot on the 10^th, and enters the weekend on seven under par.

The Massachusetts native – whose father Walter is the CEO of major golf equipment company Acushnet – has been in stunning form thus far in 2013.

The 23 year old finished in the top five in his last European Tour appearance at the Tshwane Open in March, followed seven days later by a top ten at the Puerto Rico Open on the US PGA Tour. He is now in pole position for a first win in Europe at Parador de El Saler, having played a full season on the Challenge Tour, as well as six events on The European Tour, in 2012.

“Leading a tournament is fun,” he said. “I have been close a couple of times after two rounds, so it’s nice to have the lead and be able to see how I do. It's all part of the learning process, and the more I do it the more comfortable I'll feel.

“I tried to plot my way around and my irons have been good, so I was able to do that. It’s nice to play a course like this now and then, where distance isn’t a premium and you have to think your way around. It’s nice to play a course where a couple under par is a good score. I think courses that make you think are actually more fun.”

One shot back from Uihlein were Chile’s Filipe Aguilar, Frenchman Rafaël Jacquelin and Sweden’s Rikard Karlberg, who could have entered the weekend’s play a shot clear but for back to back bogeys in his final two holes.

The 26 year old got off to a stunning start, with a birdie at the first followed by an eagle two at the par four second before dropping two more shots to clear the opening four holes in five under par.

In favourable afternoon conditions, Karlberg built on that start by gaining shots at the par five 11th and the par four 14^th before two dropped shots left him in tied second place.

“It has been a long time since I’ve had a good start and this was an excellent one,” said the Gothenburg man. “I hit some great shots and I was lucky enough to sink my second for eagle on the second hole and just kept on going from there. Unfortunately, it was not the best finish but I’m still very happy with my round.”

Local favourite Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, meanwhile, could not build on his strong start on home soil as the 32 year old carded a one over par second round 73, leaving him in tied 14^th on two under par alongside compatriot and former Challenge Tour Number One Alvaro Velasco, amongst others.

“I didn’t play as well as yesterday but overall I’m in a good position for the weekend,” said the six-time European Tour winner. “I didn't blow it away but I still think I have a chance to put myself into contention over the weekend.”

HALFWAY TOTALS

138 P Uihlein  (USA) 70 68

139 R Jacquelin (Fra) 73 66, R Karlberg  (Swe) 72 67, F Aguilar (Chi) 68 71

140 M Madsen  (Den) 68 72, M Warren (Sco) 70 70, E Pepperell (Eng) 70 70, A Hartø  (Den) 73 67, C Lee (Sco) 69 71

141 T Fleetwood  (Eng) 72 69, D Howell (Eng) 70 71, M Baldwin (Eng) 73 68, L Jensen (Den) 71 70

142 A Velasco (Esp) 71 71, M Tullo (Chi) 71 71, G Fernandez-Castaño  (Esp) 69 73, J Quesne  (Fra) 72 70, P Casey  (Eng) 72 70, P Waring  (Eng) 71 71, R Derksen (Ned) 69 73, M Delpodio  (Ita) 73 69

143 E Kofstad (Nor) 71 72, E Molinari  (Ita) 70 73, I Garrido (Esp) 72 71, A Hansen (Den) 72 71, N Elvira  (Esp) 71 72, R Finch  (Eng) 70 73, C Aguilar  (Esp) 71 72, M Kieffer (Ger) 75 68,

144 S Lowry  (Irl) 78 66, D Brooks (Eng) 69 75, C Macaulay  (Sco) 73 71, M Lampert (Ger) 76 68, P Price (Wal) 70 74, J Lara (Esp) 70 74, A Cañizares  (Esp) 71 73, D Higgins (Irl) 69 75, R Gonzalez (Arg) 74 70, S Hansen (Den) 74 70, M Korhonen (Fin) 71 73, V Dubuisson  (Fra) 74 70, J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 73 71,

145 S Garcia  (Esp) 72 73, G Maybin (Nir) 74 71, R Davies (Wal) 73 72, R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 72 73, T Van Der Walt (RSA) 73 72, J Sjöholm (Swe) 69 76, R Green (Aus) 73 72, J Morrison  (Eng) 72 73, D Drysdale (Sco) 73 72, D Horsey (Eng) 71 74, E De La Riva  (Esp) 72 73, M Carlsson  (Swe) 70 75, S Little (Eng) 73 72, K Ferrie (Eng) 72 73, G Bourdy (Fra) 72 73, J Lagergren (Swe) 69 76, P Lawrie (Irl) 71 74, J Sandelin (Swe) 74 71,

146 G Stal  (Fra) 68 78, A Forsyth (Sco) 76 70, J Gonnet  (Fra) 73 73, S Benson (Eng) 74 72, C Cévaër (Fra) 76 70, E Grillo (Arg) 74 72, L Slattery (Eng) 75 71, G Cambis  (Fra) 77 69, M Manassero (Ita) 78 68, M Nixon (Eng) 74 72, A Marshall (Eng) 72 74, P Oriol (Esp) 71 75, J Luiten (Ned) 74 72,

 

MISSED THE CUT

 

147 C Paisley  (Eng) 74 73, S Wakefield (Eng) 70 77, C Lloyd (Eng) 77 70, P Whiteford (Sco) 74 73, A Sullivan (Eng) 72 75, P Erofejeff (Fin) 75 72, J Walters (RSA) 71 76, A Levy (Fra) 71 76, G Havret  (Fra) 76 71, F Andersson Hed (Swe) 72 75, M Zions (Aus) 73 74, J Parry (Eng) 76 71, J Campillo (Esp) 72 75, R Coles (Eng) 71 76, A Domingo (Esp) 72 75, R Wattel  (Fra) 73 74, J Edfors (Swe) 74 73, D McGrane (Irl) 75 72,

148 O Fisher  (Eng) 73 75, S Dyson  (Eng) 74 74, M Lafeber (Ned) 76 72, S Arnold  (Aus) 74 74, M Southgate  (Eng) 69 79, M Brier (Aut) 75 73, J Colomo  (Esp) 71 77, L Gagli  (Ita) 78 70, A Otaegui  (Esp) 72 76, J Legarrea (Esp) 78 70, P Hedblom (Swe) 71 77, S Kjeldsen (Den) 77 71,

149 A Snobeck  (Fra) 70 79, M Foster (Eng) 80 69, J Kruger (RSA) 76 73, R Santos  (Por) 71 78, O Floren  (Swe) 75 74, K Broberg (Swe) 74 75, R McEvoy  (Eng) 75 74, B Åkesson (Swe) 75 74, R Rock (Eng) 72 77, B Etchart  (Esp) 77 72, E Goya (Arg) 77 72,

150 C Doak (Sco) 76 74, B Dredge (Wal) 77 73, R Bland (Eng) 74 76, M Jiménez (Esp) 76 74, P Martin Benavides (Esp) 75 75, A Quiros  (Esp) 76 74, T Levet (Fra) 80 70, J Sarasti (am) (Esp) 75 75,

151 A Tadini (Ita) 75 76, M Lundberg (Swe) 74 77, M Hoey  (Nir) 75 76, J Garcia  (Esp) 74 77, A Dodt (Aus) 77 74, S Henry  (Sco) 75 76, P Larrazábal (Esp) 77 74, F Molinari (Ita) 75 76,

152 S Webster (Eng) 74 78, S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) 73 79, M Wiegele  (Aut) 80 72, F Zanotti (Par) 77 75, C Pigem (Esp) 77 75, T Lewis (Eng) 74 78, A Ferrer (am) (Esp) 76 76,

153 J Elson  (Eng) 80 73,

155 M Campbell (Nzl) 77 78, J Olazábal (Esp) 76 79, J Hansen  (Den) 74 81, G Piris Mateu (Esp) 76 79, J Bondia (am) (Esp) 79 76,

156 C Del Moral (Esp) 77 79,

157 N Fasth (Swe) 76 81,

158 G Lockerbie  (Eng) 80 78, M Jonzon (Swe) 80 78, G Storm  (Eng) 79 79, R Whitson (am) (Nir) 81 77, B Virto (am) (Esp) 82 76,

159 J Busby (Eng) 75 84,

160 D Gaunt (Aus) 82 78, O Wilson (Eng) 79 81,

161 G Boyd  (Eng) 83 78, A Kaleka  (Fra) 79 82, J Simon De Miguel (am) (Esp) 77 84,

 

FROM  EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS