EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING
RAUL KEEPS BALLESTEROS NAME TO FORE
By STEVEN FRANKLIN, Press Officer, European Tour.
++Scroll down to find out how the Scots are faring.
It was a test that his famous uncle never had to undergo, but Raul Ballesteros is making a good fist of his first attempt at The European Tour Qualifying School.
The 25 year old Spaniard lies in a share of second place after two rounds at The Oxfordshire Golf Club, one of three venues in use for the First Qualifying Stage Section A.
After opening his account with a one under par 71, Ballesteros stormed through the 103-man field on Wednesday with a round of 65 to move on to eight under par.
Son of the eldest of the Ballesteros professional golfing brothers Baldomero, Raul proved earlier in the year that he was capable of low scoring bursts at the Andalucia Open de España Valle Romano on The European Tour.
He raced four strokes ahead of the first round field at San Roque Club in April, only to drop three shots at the last two holes to end on six under par 66.
At the Chart Hills venue, Paul McKechnie is lying very hand on 135 (68-67) and a share of sixth place.
Aberdonian Graham Gordon is joint 15th with 70 and 68 for 138 but Graeme Lornie (Aspire Golf Centre) is down in a share of 40th place on 141 with 69 and 72, not bad scoring at all but the standard of play is so high.
At The Oxfordshire, Ballesteros finds himself alongside Belgium's Didier De Vooght and five shots behind the runaway leader David Porter of England, who added a 67 to his stunning first round 64.
Porter finished birdie-birdie-birdie in near darkness on Tuesday evening but ironically played the same three holes in one over par when faced with fine conditions on Wednesday.
At the Oxfordshire, Euan Little from Portpatrick is the top Scot in a share of fifth place on 138 with a pair of 69s.
Amateur Scott Jamieson is very well placed in joint ninth with 70 and 69 for 139 - one shot ahead of Paul Doherty who has had 71 and 69 for joint 13th place.
Callum Nicol is down in joint 59th place on 147 (74-73) while Aberdeen's Neil Mitchell is toiling in a share of 68th place with 75 and 73 for 148.
That's one shot ahead of Mark Loftus who has scored 74 and 74 for a share of 77th place.
The weather was not so pleasant at Chart Hills Golf Club, where thunder and lightning forced a suspension of play at 5.47pm. When they finally got finished the leaderboard featured three Englishmen at the top on 11 under par, the amateur Adam Gee, Francis McGuirk and Zane Scotland.
Two more Englishmen, Sean Whiffin and Matthew Richardson, were next on ten under after all three leading players had enjoyed rounds of four under par 68.
Birdies remained much harder to come by at the par 70 Arlandastad Golf Club in Sweden, where the leading score is two under par. Jakob Berlin is the man on that mark after the Swede added a 70 to his opening round of 68.
In second place on one under par is Victor M Fernandez of Spain following his 69, while among the group on level par 140 is Norwegian Eirik Tage Johansen who had the best round of the tournament so far, a 66.
Swede Tony Edlund, who had shared the overnight lead with Berlin, dropped back after a 76.
There will be a cut after Thursday’s third round with the final 18 holes played on Friday, after which the total progressing to the Second Qualifying Stage is broken down as follows:
Arlandastad Golf Club, Sweden (25 and ties)
Chart Hills Golf Club, England (31 and ties)
HOW THEY STAND
133 Adam Gee (Eng) 66 67, Francis McGuirk (Eng) 65 68, Zane Scotland (Sco) 66 67.
Scots scores:
135 Paul McKechnie 68 67 (jt 6th).
138 Graham Gordon 70 68 (jt 15th).
140 Graeme Lornie 69 72 (jt 40th).
The Oxfordshire Golf Club, England (29 and ties)
HOW THEY STAND
131 David Porter (Eng) 64 67.
136 Raul Ballesteros (Spa) 71 65, Didier Vooght (Bel) 70 66.
Scots scores:
138 Euan Little 69 69 (jt 5th).
139 Scott Jamieson 70 69 (jt 9th).
140 Paul Doherty 71 69 (jt 13th).
147 Callum Nicoll 74 73 (jt 59th).
148 Neil Mitchell 75 73 (jt 68th).
149 Mark Loftus 74 75 (jt 77th).
By STEVEN FRANKLIN, Press Officer, European Tour.
++Scroll down to find out how the Scots are faring.
It was a test that his famous uncle never had to undergo, but Raul Ballesteros is making a good fist of his first attempt at The European Tour Qualifying School.
The 25 year old Spaniard lies in a share of second place after two rounds at The Oxfordshire Golf Club, one of three venues in use for the First Qualifying Stage Section A.
After opening his account with a one under par 71, Ballesteros stormed through the 103-man field on Wednesday with a round of 65 to move on to eight under par.
Son of the eldest of the Ballesteros professional golfing brothers Baldomero, Raul proved earlier in the year that he was capable of low scoring bursts at the Andalucia Open de España Valle Romano on The European Tour.
He raced four strokes ahead of the first round field at San Roque Club in April, only to drop three shots at the last two holes to end on six under par 66.
At the Chart Hills venue, Paul McKechnie is lying very hand on 135 (68-67) and a share of sixth place.
Aberdonian Graham Gordon is joint 15th with 70 and 68 for 138 but Graeme Lornie (Aspire Golf Centre) is down in a share of 40th place on 141 with 69 and 72, not bad scoring at all but the standard of play is so high.
At The Oxfordshire, Ballesteros finds himself alongside Belgium's Didier De Vooght and five shots behind the runaway leader David Porter of England, who added a 67 to his stunning first round 64.
Porter finished birdie-birdie-birdie in near darkness on Tuesday evening but ironically played the same three holes in one over par when faced with fine conditions on Wednesday.
At the Oxfordshire, Euan Little from Portpatrick is the top Scot in a share of fifth place on 138 with a pair of 69s.
Amateur Scott Jamieson is very well placed in joint ninth with 70 and 69 for 139 - one shot ahead of Paul Doherty who has had 71 and 69 for joint 13th place.
Callum Nicol is down in joint 59th place on 147 (74-73) while Aberdeen's Neil Mitchell is toiling in a share of 68th place with 75 and 73 for 148.
That's one shot ahead of Mark Loftus who has scored 74 and 74 for a share of 77th place.
The weather was not so pleasant at Chart Hills Golf Club, where thunder and lightning forced a suspension of play at 5.47pm. When they finally got finished the leaderboard featured three Englishmen at the top on 11 under par, the amateur Adam Gee, Francis McGuirk and Zane Scotland.
Two more Englishmen, Sean Whiffin and Matthew Richardson, were next on ten under after all three leading players had enjoyed rounds of four under par 68.
Birdies remained much harder to come by at the par 70 Arlandastad Golf Club in Sweden, where the leading score is two under par. Jakob Berlin is the man on that mark after the Swede added a 70 to his opening round of 68.
In second place on one under par is Victor M Fernandez of Spain following his 69, while among the group on level par 140 is Norwegian Eirik Tage Johansen who had the best round of the tournament so far, a 66.
Swede Tony Edlund, who had shared the overnight lead with Berlin, dropped back after a 76.
There will be a cut after Thursday’s third round with the final 18 holes played on Friday, after which the total progressing to the Second Qualifying Stage is broken down as follows:
Arlandastad Golf Club, Sweden (25 and ties)
Chart Hills Golf Club, England (31 and ties)
HOW THEY STAND
133 Adam Gee (Eng) 66 67, Francis McGuirk (Eng) 65 68, Zane Scotland (Sco) 66 67.
Scots scores:
135 Paul McKechnie 68 67 (jt 6th).
138 Graham Gordon 70 68 (jt 15th).
140 Graeme Lornie 69 72 (jt 40th).
The Oxfordshire Golf Club, England (29 and ties)
HOW THEY STAND
131 David Porter (Eng) 64 67.
136 Raul Ballesteros (Spa) 71 65, Didier Vooght (Bel) 70 66.
Scots scores:
138 Euan Little 69 69 (jt 5th).
139 Scott Jamieson 70 69 (jt 9th).
140 Paul Doherty 71 69 (jt 13th).
147 Callum Nicoll 74 73 (jt 59th).
148 Neil Mitchell 75 73 (jt 68th).
149 Mark Loftus 74 75 (jt 77th).
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Thursday, September 14, 2006
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