LEWIS AND WILSON BACK IN THE MIX FOR DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP
REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Tom Lewis and Oliver Wilson were amongst a five-strong group setting the
early pace on an unusually benign opening day at the Alfred Dunhill
Links Championship.
But it was not such a good day for the Scots - only two players in the top 50: George Murray with a 65 and David Drysdale with a 69. Paul Lawrie had a 73.
But it was not such a good day for the Scots - only two players in the top 50: George Murray with a 65 and David Drysdale with a 69. Paul Lawrie had a 73.
The English duo of Lewis and Wilson , who are both on the comeback trail after enduring
testing times of late, shot rounds of 64 to share the lead on eight
under par with their compatriot Richard McEvoy, France’s Alex Kaleka and
Chile’s Mark Tullo, all of whom were competing at
St Andrews.
Jamie Donaldson shone brightest at the third fabled venue hosting this
week’s US$5 million showpiece, the Welshman taking advantage of the calm
conditions at Carnoustie to post a seven under par round of 65.
Wilson, who has a brace of top five finishes to his name on the
Challenge Tour this month, is slowly returning to the sort of form which
earned him a place in Europe’s team at The Ryder Cup in 2008.
The following year, he came second in the Alfred Dunhill Links
Championship – one of nine runner-up finishes on The European Tour – but
has since struggled to maintain his momentum, losing his playing
privileges in 2011 and subsequently dropping down to the
Challenge Tour in a bid to rebuild his confidence.
But the 33 year old was back to his best at Kingsbarns, notching six
birdies and an eagle three at the par five third hole to sign for his
lowest round of the season.
Wilson said: “I’m playing a lot better. For the first time in probably
over a year, I have some control over my shots and am able to trust my
swing under pressure. I’m driving the ball way, way better, which is
essentially the part of my game that had disappeared.
I wasn’t able to get it on the fairway, so I was really in trouble. But
hopefully that’s all behind me now.
“I just have to keep playing well. If I keep playing well, it’s only a
matter of time before I get to I where I want to be. The game is
improving all the time, and everything’s settled and moving in the right
direction again. So it’s nice, because it’s been
quite a while since I’ve seen my name up in lights.”
Lewis, who is in danger of losing the card which he secured in such
spectacular fashion with his victory at the Portugal Masters two years
ago, has got into the frustrating habit recently of fading after an
initial bright start.
But the 22 year old, currently in 155th place in The Race to Dubai, is
hoping that the rotation of courses will help get him into the mindset
of treating every day like a Thursday.
He said: “I’ve been very solid recently on the first day, then Friday
has been my enemy. If I can try to get away from that this week, I’ll be
fine. For me, maybe trying too hard is something I’ve been guilty of,
and playing three different courses might just
help me, because I can forget what I’ve done the day before and expect
different things.
“Overall, I think I’m a better player now. Obviously winning so early
[in Portugal] helped me compete at the top level, but at the same time
it probably hurt me as well because I expected too much, too soon. I’m
learning, and it’s a shame that I haven’t performed
better over the last couple of years but when I get back to the top,
I’ll be ready for it – whereas before I probably wasn’t.
“I’ve felt like giving up at times, but you’ve got to stick with it.
It’s a very good job, but it’s also tough, especially at the level the
guys are playing at here. I’ve been through tough times and been upset a
lot, and it’s been probably the hardest two
years of my life. But I’ve come out of it a stronger person and a
better player.
“It might not happen for me at the end of the year; but if it does, then
great. If it doesn’t, it’s not the end of the world. Obviously I’d be
very disappointed, but I’ve learned a lot in the last couple years and
I’ll move forward from here, and things will
happen in the future when the time is right.”
Kaleka (126th in The Race to Dubai), McEvoy (171st) and Tullo (114th)
are also all in danger of losing their European Tour cards, but the trio
enhanced their prospects of surviving the end-of-season cull with
superb rounds of 64 at the ‘Home of Golf’.
EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
FIRST ROUND PRO LEADERBOARD
64 Alex Kaleka, Mark Tullo, Oliver Wilson, Tom Lewis, Richard McEvoy
65 Mark Foster, GEORGE MURRAY, Matthew Baldwin, Jamie Donaldson, Tommy Fleetwood
66 Eddie Pepperell, Morten Madsen, Brandon Stone, Garth Mulroy, Simon Dyson, Chris Wood, Soren Kjeldsen, Justin Thomas, Alessandro Tadini
OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
69 David Drysdale (T47)
70 Marc Warren (T74)
71 Craig Lee, Scott Jamieson (T91)
73 Paul Lawrie (T127)
74 Scott Henry (T139)
78 Stephen Gallacher (T162)
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
FIRST ROUND PRO LEADERBOARD
64 Alex Kaleka, Mark Tullo, Oliver Wilson, Tom Lewis, Richard McEvoy
65 Mark Foster, GEORGE MURRAY, Matthew Baldwin, Jamie Donaldson, Tommy Fleetwood
66 Eddie Pepperell, Morten Madsen, Brandon Stone, Garth Mulroy, Simon Dyson, Chris Wood, Soren Kjeldsen, Justin Thomas, Alessandro Tadini
OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
69 David Drysdale (T47)
70 Marc Warren (T74)
71 Craig Lee, Scott Jamieson (T91)
73 Paul Lawrie (T127)
74 Scott Henry (T139)
78 Stephen Gallacher (T162)
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
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