PETER HEDBLOM IS A DAY DREAMER IN HANDA PERTH INTERNATIONAL

REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

It’s just as well Peter Hedblom believes in fairy tales.

The 43 year old Swede arrived in Western Australia for the ISPS HANDA Perth International needing nothing less than a victory to secure his place on The European Tour, and after rounds of 68 and 69 at Lake Karrinyup Country Club finds himself two shots clear and in with a chance to write the kind of story that JM Barrie’s Peter Pan would be proud of. 

Hedblom is currently ranked 179^th on The European Tour’s Race to Dubai, with only the top 110 players after this week guaranteeing a full-time spot on the tour next year.

Only a victory – and the two year exemption that comes with it – is good enough for Hedblom and he has put himself in a superb position to do just that, posting a seven under par halfway score to lead by two from Ryder Cup star Ross Fisher, with Søren Hansen, Clint Rice, Josh Younger, Jin Jeong and Dimitrios Papadatos a further shot back.

Seven time PGA Tour winner Dustin Johnson made a great start to his second round to move into a share of the lead, but a three over par back nine saw him card a two over 74 and fall back into the chasing pack on one under. 

After a fine second round effort of five under 67, Englishman Fisher looks close to the ball-striking best that brought him four European Tour wins from 2007 – 2010 and culminated in his victorious Ryder Cup debut in 2010, while ISPS HANDA Perth International defending champion Bo Van Pelt moved ominously into contention on three under par after a 71.

Those two men will be looking to lead the charge against Hedblom, but the Swede is hoping to take inspiration from the fairy tale story that befell his best friend on the Tour, fellow Swede Michael Jonzon, back in 2009.

“I love fairy tales,” smiled Hedblom. “A similar thing actually happened to my best friend on Tour, Michael Jonzon, in 2009. He was like me, way back and needed a big finish in Castellón which was his last tournament and he won it – he beat Martin Kaymer. That was a fairy tale story.

“That was the same year as my last win, so it has been a little while for me but I know I have the game to do it.  It's been two great days so far and it is great right now to be leading. 

“We'll see – I think the closer I get to Sunday, the more difficult it will become but I don't really have anything to lose.  If I want to play another year, full year on Tour, I need to win.  So you just have to go for it and have fun.”

Peter Pan couldn’t have said it better himself.

 

SECOND ROUND TOTALS

  Par 144 (2x72)

137 P Hedblom (Swe) 68 69;

139 R Fisher (Eng) 72 67;

140 C Rice (Aus) 68 72; D Papadatos (Aus) 69 71; J Jeong (Kor) 68 72; J Younger (Aus) 70 70; S Hansen (Den) 71 69;

141 B Ninyette (Aus) 72 69; J Nitties (Aus) 68 73; B Van Pelt (USA) 70 71; R Finch  (Eng) 72 69;

142 M Fraser (Aus) 72 70; N Cullen (Aus) 69 73; R Haller (Aus) 72 70; M Brown (Nzl) 70 72; C Campbell (Aus) 71 71; N O'Hern (Aus) 69 73; F Andersson Hed (Swe) 69 73; M Hoey  (Nir) 73 69; J Scrivener (Aus) 75 67;

143 P Wilson (Aus) 72 71; P Lawrie (Irl) 73 70; P Spargo (Aus) 72 71; D McKenzie (Aus) 75 68; R McGowan  (Eng) 71 72; D Johnson (USA) 69 74; J Hansen  (Den) 70 73; G Paddison (Nzl) 74 69; A Kaleka  (Fra) 74 69; F Zanotti (Par) 75 68; D Willett  (Eng) 72 71;

144 J McLean (Aus) 76 68; T Bond (Aus) 71 73; J Sjöholm (Swe) 71 73; M Korhonen (Fin) 73 71; R Blizard (Aus) 70 74; S Little (Eng) 69 75; S Kjeldsen (Den) 76 68; C Lee (Sco) 73 71; A Bland (Aus) 72 72; D Bransdon (Aus) 71 73; O Fisher  (Eng) 72 72; E Kofstad (Nor) 71 73; B Rumford (Aus) 71 73; 

145 W Ormsby (Aus) 73 72; J Morrison  (Eng) 73 72; C Doak (Sco) 72 73; S Dartnall (Aus) 74 71; A Brown (Aus) 70 75; T Cox (Aus) 75 70; D Higgins (Irl) 73 72; J Walters (RSA) 76 69; P Cooke (Aus) 72 73; 

146 M Tullo (Chi) 75 71; S Wakefield (Eng) 72 74; S Jones (Aus) 74 72; B Åkesson (Swe) 69 77; B Grace  (RSA) 73 73; G Havret  (Fra) 73 73; L McKechnie (Aus) 74 72; S Jeffress (Aus) 76 70; D Popovic (Aus) 72 74; N Basic (Aus) 72 74; R Bland (Eng) 75 71; C Parry (Aus) 72 74; D Drysdale (Sco) 72 74; J Wade (Aus) 76 70; S Henry  (Sco) 74 72; R McEvoy  (Eng) 76 70;

147 B Rankin (Aus) 71 76; A Hall (Aus) 72 75; M Griffin (Aus) 73 74; J Lara (Esp) 73 74; M Moore (Aus) 78 69; T Petersson (Swe) 70 77; A Crawford (Aus) 75 72; D Fox (Aus) 75 72; A Martin  (Aus) 74 73; R Coles (Eng) 70 77; P Casey  (Eng) 76 71; A Levy (Fra) 74 73; M Ballard (Aus) 75 72; J Kingston (RSA) 74 73;

148 J Geary  (Nzl) 78 70; N Holman  (Aus) 75 73; M Jager (Aus) 74 74; A Kelly (Aus) 74 74; R Fox (Nzl) 74 74; J Wilson (Aus) 75 73; G Lockerbie  (Eng) 74 74; M Jonzon (Swe) 73 75; T Van Der Walt (RSA) 75 73; K Mueck (Aus) 75 73; K Richardson (Aus) 78 70; L Jensen (Den) 77 71; N Green (Aus) 76 72; B Lamb  (Aus) 72 76; A Summers (Aus) 75 73; B Watt (am) (Aus) 69 79;

149 A Snobeck  (Fra) 73 76; R Karlberg  (Swe) 76 73; M Wright (Aus) 76 73; K Pratt (Aus) 79 70; P O'Malley (Aus) 73 76; M Cain (Aus) 75 74; J Norris (Aus) 78 71; P Fowler (Aus) 77 72; C Hancock (Aus) 75 74; M Stieger (Aus) 75 74; M Millar (Aus) 74 75; B Stone (RSA) 77 72;

150 M Sim  (Aus) 76 74; J Edfors (Swe) 73 77; A Buckle (Aus) 74 76; S Laycock (Aus) 77 73; O Floren  (Swe) 75 75; S Leaney (Aus) 74 76; C Paisley  (Eng) 77 73; T Wood (Aus) 75 75;

151 M Foster (Aus) 76 75; A Stolz (Aus) 75 76; M Pearce (Nzl) 78 73; P Lonard (Aus) 73 78; A Dodt (Aus) 78 73; M Guyatt (Aus) 74 77;

152 R Lynch (Aus) 78 74; A Hartø  (Den) 77 75; A Presnell (Aus) 76 76;

153 M Nixon (Eng) 79 74; K Felton (Aus) 78 75; R Batibasaga (Aus) 77 76; A Katholos (Aus) 73 80;

154 P Erofejeff (Fin) 75 79;

155 B Shilton (Nzl) 77 78; L Gagli  (Ita) 78 77; L Deagan (Aus) 78 77;

156 R Kulacz (Aus) 80 76; J Lagergren (Swe) 81 75;

157 M Goggin (Aus) 79 78;

158 G Reed (Aus) 81 77; M Delpodio  (Ita) 78 80;

159 A Tschudin (Aus) 82 77;

160 D Van Der Walt (RSA) 78 82;

162 M Giles (Aus) 85 77;