The Irish Golf Club Gazette: 07/26/13

7/26/2013

Paul Doherty Leads Concra Wood

Paul Doherty shot a second-round 70 to take a one-stroke advantage into the final round of the Kingspan Concra Wood Open, the latest event on the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour.

The Scotsman moved to five under after 36 holes while Marcus Armitage (Howley Hall GC) is one off the pace after shooting the day’s best score, a five-under 67. William Harrold is joined by last year’s Kingspan Concra Wood Open winner Billy Hemstock and Limerick’s Tim Rice on three under in a tie for third.

Doherty (Vale Hotel) had shared the lead with Colm Moriarty (Glasson Hotel and Golf Club) on three under par following Wednesday’s first round, but the Irishman shot a four-over 76 on day two and is now tied 19th.

After a one-hour delay due to fog, joint overnight leader Doherty teed off on the tenth tee but bogeyed the 14th to drop to two under. Back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th saw him take his second-round card below par and a four on the par-five first had him at five under, although that was short-lived when his second bogey of the round came on the following hole.

However, Doherty found one more par breaker on the seventh and his clubhouse lead was never taken.

His closest challenger at the start of Friday’s final round will be Armitage. The Englishman is playing his first 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour event of the main season after finishing tied 33rd at Qualifying School.

He went into the second round one over but quickly found form, making five birdies before the turn. A bogey at the second, having started on the tenth, was only a brief setback before a sixth birdie of the round was recorded on the fourth.

Hemstock (Teignmouth Golf Club), carded a one-under 71 on day two and is just two strokes behind Doherty as he looks to defend the title he won by play-off at Concra Wood last year.

Two birdies on his last three holes took Rice to three under, while Harrold (Sheringham Golf Club) fired a second-round 70 to manoeuvre himself into a tie for third.

Ahead of the final round a cut to the leading 50 players plus ties has been made. A total of 53 golfers, whose 36-hole score is five over par or better, will play the final round in a bid to claim the £10,000 winner’s cheque and a brand new Motocaddy trolley.

Spectator entry to the course is free throughout the week.

McDowell Struggles at Canadian Open

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Graeme McDowell had a day to forget as Brendan Steele set the early pace at the RBC Canadian Open in Oakville.

Luke Donald missed the cut at the Open and there was no respite for the former No 1 in Ontario.

And up and down round saw him register a double bogey, three bogeys and four birdies to finish on one-over - eight shots behind Steele.

McDowell endured a torrid time, with the former US Open signing for a four-over 76 - with his round including six bogeys and two birdies.

While the Ryder Cup duo struggled at Glen Abbey Golf Course, Steele was in superb form to open up a one-shot lead over Scott Brown, Matt Kuchar and Scott Gardiner.

The 30-year-old holed eight birdies, with the sole blemish on his round coming at his final hole.

Love

Steele, whose only Tour title came at the 2011 Texas Open, told pgatour.com: "I love being up here. I played in '06 and '07 on PGA Tour Canada. And really, got me ready to play the Nationwide Tour, which I played in '08, '09 and '10.

"It was a great progression in my life. I had a great time up here. Made a lot of friends and spent two summers traveling the country.

"Really, just an overall good day. Hit a lot of good shots and was able to hole some putts. When you have a good round like that and you play that well, you kind of have everything going.

"Today was probably the most complete round that I've had all year, so that was kind of nice. Didn't miss many greens, didn't hit many shots off line, and I was able to roll a few putts in."

Brown enjoyed a bogey-free round of six-under 66 while the highlight on Kuchar's card was an eagle on the par-five 18th.

Gardiner sank six birdies in a row between the second and seventh holes, adding another on the 15th before bogeying the next.

Sweden's David Lingmerth was the leading European on five under, sitting alongside Hunter Mahan on the leaderboard.

Lisa Maguire in Finnish Medaa Mix

Lisa Maguire held her nerve in Finland to stay on course for a medal in the European Amateur Individual Championship.

The 18-year-old international from Slieve Russell fired a second-round 72 to add to her 69 on Wednesday for a half-way total of one-under-par 141 to lie just four strokes off the pace set by Tonje Daffinrud but, more crucially, only one behind a group of players who share second spot.

Maguire was steady, with 15 pars, bogeys at five and six and a birdie at 13.

Her twin sister Leona improved dramatically, knocking 13 strokes off her Wednesday round by returning a 69. She had three birdies in the last four holes.

Maria Dunne went the other way, slumping to an 82, which was four strokes worse than her opening-day efforts.

Irish champion Paula Grant had a double-bogey five on the seventh on her way to a 74 and a 36-hole total of 152, while Jessica Carty produced some excellent golf to shoot 73 after an opening 78, her round being slightly spoiled by a double-bogey six on the 17th.

Chloe Ryan's round was rescued by two birdies in the last three holes, which helped her to a 76 and a 151 aggregate.

Meanwhile, at the European Young Masters in Hamburger, Ireland improved late in the day to secure seventh place in the opening round, albeit a long way adrift of leaders England.

With three of the four cards counting, Ireland finished the day on seven-over-par, with England on four-under.

Ireland stroke play champion Olivia Mehaffey was level par, with Niamh McSherry three-over and Kevin Le Blanc four-over.

Walton Shoots 70 at Royal Birkdale

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Philip Walton finished three strokes off the lead, after a level par round of 70 at Royal Birkdale on Thursday, the same as fellow Irish man Mark McNulty, on the first day of The Senior Open.

Christy O’Connor Junior and Denis O’Sullivan both shot 75, one better than Des Smyth.

Northern Ireland amateur Frank O’Donoghue went around in 83.

The leader, Gene Sauers posted an opening-round of three-under-par 67 in Southport, and the 50-year-old American, who is making his first appearance at the tournament, ended up one shot clear of a group of four players, including Germany’s 2010 champion Bernhard Langer.

Sauers reached the turn in a bogey-free 34 and made his first birdie of the day at the par-four 10th.

He then bogeyed the following hole, but went on to finish well, making a hat-trick of gains in succession from the 15th.

“I’m very proud of that,” Sauers said.

“I just made sure I hit a lot of solid shots. If you hit it really solid then the wind won’t really mess with it too much and so I’m pleased with the way I played.

“It’s a great place and a privilege and honour to be here. I’ve not played an awful lot of links golf but I like the different challenge; you don’t know which way the ball is going to bounce so you’re kind of hitting and hoping sometimes, but I’m really enjoying it.”

Sauers only returned to golf less than two years ago after suffering from the potentially fatal skin condition Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.

“It’s a second chance,” he added. “Both arms, both legs were burned up. After Duke University diagnosed me, I spent seven weeks in hospital, had seven lots of skin grafts and it was torture.

“I tell you, I don’t want anybody to go through that. I’m blessed and I’m glad to be here.”

Alongside Langer on 68 are David Frost of South Africa, Australian Peter Senior and Frankie Minoza of the Philippines.

Sauers’ compatriot Fred Couples, the defending champion, struggled to a four-over-par 74.

Langer made 13 pars and bogeyed once up to and including the 14th, and then, like Sauers, concluded strongly with three birdies in his last four holes.

Reflecting on that round, the 55-year-old said: “How I finished was very pleasing because 18 (which he birdied) is not a simple hole.

“I wasn’t totally happy with my first seven or eight holes because I had a number of chances to make birdies and just didn’t putt well.

“But it was very tight. I played very well off the tee and into the greens and gave myself opportunities, kept it out of these pot bunkers and out of the long grass.

“I had opportunities and finally the putter started working at the end.”

7/26/2013

Paul Doherty Leads Concra Wood

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