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| May 10, 2003 | Saturday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 7, 1424 |
Harrington sets sights on missing title
THE BELFRY, England, May 9: Padraig Harrington moved closer to taking the B and H International Open title when he fired a second round five-under 67 here on Friday to put himself firmly atop the leaderboard at nine-under.
First round leader David Dixon, who opened with a six-under 66, found himself struggling to stay with Europe’s finest.
The tour rookie dropped four shots in his outward nine thanks to two bogeys and a double.
He came home in 38 leaving him level par and nine adrift of the Irishman.
Five shots off the lead in third spot were England’s Paul Casey and Jamie Elson and Spain’s Jose Manuel Lara.
Harrington, Europe’s top player and the only one ranked in the world top 10, is determined to win here this weekend.
Government rules on tobacco advertising means this will be the last Benson and Hedges after 33 years and Harrington is keen to have his name on the tournament’s list of winners.
Harrington had got himself to 11-under par but a double bogey on the par-four 8th, his 17th hole, when he snap hooked his drive into the water, saw him slip back towards the chasing pack.
But he remained in an upbeat mood.
Defending champion Angel Cabrera kept himself firmly in the hunt when he ran off four straight birdies in his outward half to move to eight-under. A bogey at his 15th was his only error as he finished at seven-under and only two behind Harrington.
Colin Montgomerie looked to have finally found his form when he got himself to six-under after 14 holes but two bogeys and a double on the ninth - his 18th - saw him having to settle for a two-under 70.
It has been a miserable year for the burly Scot.
A switch of clubs saw him go into a slump that sent him hurrying back home from the United States where he failed to make a cut.
His ego battered and bruised, the seven-time European Order of Merit winner, desperately needed some confidence.
A move back to cavity-backed clubs began to pay off last week in Italy when he finished with a 65 and his performance here on Friday was heading to be by far his best round of the season until disaster struck.
Montgomerie put on a brave face.
Scotland’s Sandy Lyle, who is finding it more and more difficult to get sponsors invites, shot a five-under 67 to be two-under and in the hunt.
Second round scores
135 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 67 68
137 Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 68 69
140 Jose Manuel Lara (Spain) 72 68, Jamie Elson 71 69, Paul Casey 71 69
141 Jean-Francois Remesy (France) 71 70, Stephen Leaney (Australia) 69 72, Stephen Scahill (New Zealand) 71 70, Emanuele Canonica (Italy) 69 72, Richard S.Johnson (Sweden) 73 68, Rolf Muntz (Netherlands) 70 71, Julien Clement (Switzerland) 71 70
142 Roger Chapman 71 71, Colin Montgomerie 72 70, Ricardo Gonzalez (Argentina) 70 72, Sandy Lyle 75 67, Simon Khan 72 70, Bernhard Langer (Germany) 71 71, Bradley Dredge 73 69, Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 72 70, David Park 72 70, Mikko Ilonen (Finland) 75 67
Price shares honours
CHARLOTTE: Nick Price took advantage of a recent putting lesson to gain a share of the lead on six-under-par 66 with Fred Couples on Thursday after the first round of the $5.6 million Wachovia Championship.
Price and Couples led by one shot over current PGA champion Rich Beem. Jeff Brehaut and Paul Goydos shared fourth on 68.
Stephen Ames, John Senden, Scott Laycock, Duffy Waldorf and Kirk Triplett were tied for sixth on 69.
Price said he sought advice from putter-maker Scotty Cameron during the Match Play Championship in March. The three-times major champion hesitated before putting into practice Cameron’s advice about changing his alignment and setup.
Leading first round scores
66 Nick Price, Fred Couples
67 Rich Beem
68 Jeff Brehaut, Paul Goydos
69 Stephen Ames, John Senden, Diffy Waldorf, Kirk Triplett,
Scott Laycock
70, David Berganio, Mark Calcavecchia, Joe Durant, David
Toms, Spike McRoy, Charless Howell III, Pat Bates,
Brandt Jobe, Chris DiMarco, Chris Smith, Dean Wilson.—Agencies
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