WOOSNAM RETAINS WELSH LEAD AFTER PORTHCAWL BARES TEETH

  REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

On a day dominated by the most extreme conditions, Ian Woosman emerged from his battle with the mighty Royal Porthcawl to retain a one stroke lead going into the final round of the Speedy Service Wales Senior Open. 

With winds averaging 30 mph and gusting to 40 mph at their most extreme, the Welshman birdied the par five 18^th to card a three over par 74. That saw him fall back to three under for the tournament but stay one shot clear of his fellow former Ryder Cup Captain Mark James and Irishman Denis O’Sullivan.

So intense were the conditions at Porthcawl that not one of the 72 man field managed to post an under par score, with James producing a joint best of the day level par 71 to join O’Sullivan (72) in a tie for second place on two under. Terry Price of Australia is the only other player in the field under par after a second round 72. 

Thanks to Woosnam’s opening 66 on Friday, the former Masters Champion is in with a great chance to become the first Welshman to put his hands on the Speedy Services Wales Senior Open trophy, and collect his first victory since 2011.

 

“I won’t be thinking about winning just yet,” said Woosnam. “You only have to look at the conditions today to know that anything can happen on a golf course like this. I am just hoping to get some of my rhythm back because I have been playing really nicely over the last few weeks but today the wind just caused havoc with the swing.

“It was so extreme out there today and don’t think you can really enjoy that kind of golf. It was a real battle and I am just delighted to still be in the lead and in with a chance of winning. 

“It would be special to win back here in Wales but as I said before there is a long way to go and almost anything can happen on a course like this so it will be a case of coming back tomorrow and hoping I can get the job done.”

 

Complete second round scores:

Par 142 (2x71)

139 I Woosnam (Wal) 65 74;

140 D O'Sullivan (Irl) 68 72; M James (Eng) 69 71;

141 T Price (Aus) 69 72;

142 D Russell (Eng) 69 73;

143 M Cunning (USA) 71 72; A Oldcorn (Sco) 66 77; A Sherborne (Eng) 70 73;

144 B Lane (Eng) 67 77;

145 M Martin (Esp) 70 75; T Thelen (USA) 70 75; T Johnstone (Zim) 74 71; J Rivero (Esp) 72 73; P Golding (Eng) 66 79; D Smyth (Irl) 74 71;

146 J Harrison (Eng) 71 75; J Quiros (Esp) 70 76; C Mason (Eng) 70 76;

147 G Brand Jnr (Sco) 71 76; P Fowler (Aus) 72 75; M McLean (Eng) 76 71; A Forsbrand (Swe) 71 76;

148 M Farry (Fra) 67 81; S Tinning (Den) 74 74; S Brown (Eng) 69 79; P Linhart (Esp) 73 75; J Carriles (Esp) 73 75; P Jonas (Can) 70 78; M Piñero (Esp) 74 74; A Franco (Par) 70 78; G Norquist (USA) 75 73; W Grant (Eng) 72 76; G Ralph (Eng) 73 75;

149 J Spence (Eng) 75 74; K Spurgeon (Eng) 72 77; P Walton (Irl) 68 81;

150 S Luna (Esp) 76 74; J Bruner (USA) 68 82; L Carbonetti (Arg) 68 82; B Cameron (Eng) 73 77; G Manson (Aut) 71 79;

151 N Job (Eng) 68 83; S Cipa (Eng) 74 77; C Williams (RSA) 72 79; J Gould (Eng) 74 77; G Brand (Eng) 77 74;

152 N Ratcliffe (Aus) 78 74; G Wolstenholme (Eng) 72 80; B Longmuir (Sco) 73 79; G Ryall (Eng) 73 79;

153 S Van Vuuren (RSA) 70 83; E Darcy (Irl) 74 79; D James (Sco) 75 78; R Drummond (Sco) 67 86; P Wesselingh (Eng) 75 78; J Laforce (Can) 72 81; T Elliott (Aus) 76 77;

154 R Gibson (Can) 76 78;

155 C O'Connor Jnr (Irl) 75 80; R Thompson (USA) 75 80; S Bennett (Eng) 72 83;

156 P Way (Eng) 72 84; P Mitchell (Eng) 77 79; M Mackenzie (Eng) 78 78; M Bembridge (Eng) 74 82;

158 D Hospital (Esp) 78 80; P Mayo (Wal) 79 79;

161 M Deboub (Alg) 80 81;

162 A Garrido (Esp) 81 81;

165 D Durnian (Eng) 79 86; G Banister (Aus) 83 82;

170 V Garcia (Esp) 88 82;

ENDS