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| July 3, 2005 | Sunday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 25, 1426 |
Cool Bjorn shares halfway lead with Donaldson
STRAFFAN (Ireland), July 2: Dane Thomas Bjorn used his new-found serenity to overcome an awful start and surge through the field to share the second round lead at the European Open on Friday.
The 34-year-old has developed a new, calmer approach to the game in the year since he walked off the Smurfit course in disarray after only six holes of the first round in 2004.
Playing the Palmer course, the venue for the 2006 Ryder Cup, agreed with him far more as he shot a three-under-par 69 to move to a five-under-par 139 and into a one-shot lead later matched by Britain’s Jamie Donaldson, who carded a 70.
On a crowded leaderboard, Bjorn’s compatriot Anders Hansen, Australian Brett Rumford and Britons Darren Clarke, the 2001 winner, Jonathan Lomas and Graeme Storm share second place.
Bjorn could easily have thought about walking in again at the start of his round due to the rustiness of a week off, but he heeded the words of advice from his mental coach Jos Vanstiphout.
Donaldson, playing on a medical exemption because of a back injury last year, has just returned after more back problems but earned his share of the lead with a 70.
Leading second round scores:
139 — Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 70, 69; Jamie Donaldson (Britain) 69, 70.
140 — Darren Clarke (Britain) 69, 71; Anders Hansen (Denmark) 70, 70; Jonathan Lomas (Britain) 68, 72; Brett Rumford (Australia) 69, 71; Graeme Storm (Britain) 69, 71.
141 — Markus Brier (Austria) 71, 70; Francois Delamontagne (France) 67, 74; Retief Goosen (South Africa) 67, 74; Damien McGrane (Ireland) 70, 71; Rolf Muntz (Netherlands) 73, 68; Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 73, 68.
142 — David Carter (Britain) 75, 67; Gregory Havret (France) 69, 73; Trevor Immelman (South Africa) 66, 76; Raphael Jacquelin (France) 72, 70.
143 — Roger Chapman (Britain) 69, 74; Andrew Coltart (Britain) 75, 68; Brian Davis (Britain) 70, 73; Peter Hedblom (Sweden 73, 70; Nick O’Hern (Australia) 69, 74; Jamie Spence (Britain) 76, 67.
144 — Stephen Dodd (Britain) 74, 70; Nick Dougherty (Britain) 74, 70; Paul Eales (Britain) 73, 71; Niclas Fasth (Sweden) 70, 74; Mikko Ilonen (Finland) 72, 72; Gary Murphy (Ireland) 68, 76; Marten Olander (Sweden) 73, 71; Wade Ormsby (Australia) 74, 70; Greg Owen (Britain) 72, 72; Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Denmark) 75, 69.
145 — Kenneth Ferrie (Britain) 75, 70; Alastair Forsyth (Britain) 76, 69; Ricardo Gonzalez (Argentina) 74, 71; Richard Green (Australia) 72, 73; Santiago Luna (Spain) 72, 73; David Park (Britain) 75, 70; Marcel Siem (Germany) 70, 75; Johan Skoeld (Sweden) 76, 69; Sven Struever (Germany) 71, 74 Anthony Wall (Britain) 73, 72; Oliver Wilson (Britain) 73, 72.
FLAWLESS COUCH LEADS
LEMONT (Illinois): American Chris Couch enjoyed a sizzling back nine to card a flawless four-under 67 as he took a one shot second round lead at the Western Open on Friday.
Couch, who has two wins on the Nationwide Tour this season but is without a PGA Tour success, is clear of compatriots Tim Herron, Jim Furyk and Duffy Waldorf.
After a disappointing opening round, world number one Tiger Woods was also on the charge at the Cog Hill Country Club with a five-under 66 to move within six shots of the surprise leader.
Playing on a sponsor’s exemption, Couch has made the most of his opportunity carding rounds of 66 and 67 on the Dubsdread course to sit alone top the leaderboard on nine-under 133.
Couch, having spent his entire 10-year career bouncing between golf’s minor leagues and the PGA Tour, has struck a rich vein of form this season with his morale-boosting Nationwide Tour wins guaranteeing him his card for next season.
That confidence was on full display as Couch reeled off nine straight pars to start his round on Friday and then caught fire after the turn with four birdies to surge into the lead.
Herron, without a win in six years, was also an unfamiliar face among the front runners but a solid five-under 66 has left the 35-year-old well positioned to take a run at his first title since the 1999 Bay Hill Invitational.
In contrast, Furyk, who led the Barclays Classic from the start until he was overhauled by Padraig Harrington in the final five holes on Sunday, has been a fixture near the top of the leaderboard for the last two events.
Leading second round scores:
133 — Chris Couch (US) 66, 67.
134 — Tim Herron (US) 68, 66; Jim Furyk (US) 64, 70; Duffy Waldorf (US) 69, 65
135 — Ben Curtis (US) 64, 71.
136 — Todd Fischer (US) 64, 72; Steve Flesch (US) 69, 67.
137 — Scott McCarron (US) 70, 67; Chad Campbell (US) 66, 71.
138 — Craig Perks (New Zealand) 67, 71; Jonathan Byrd (US) 71, 67; Brett Quigley (US) 69, 69; Shaun Micheel (US) 71, 67; Ted Purdy (US) 72, 66; Stuart Appleby (Australia) 67, 71; Brian Gay (US) 68, 70.
139 — Scott Verplank (US) 69, 70; Tiger Woods (US) 73, 66; Woody Austin (US) 70, 69; Frank Lickliter II (US) 72, 67; Robert Gamez (US) 68, 71; Joe Durant (US) 72, 67; Chris Anderson (US) 72, 67.
140 — D.J. Trahan (US) 71, 69; Joey Sindelar (US) 68, 72; K.J. Choi (South Korea) 71, 69; Roland Thatcher (US) 70, 70; Brett Wetterich (US) 69, 71; Chris Smith (US) 69, 71; Harrison Frazar (US) 66, 74; Jerry Kelly (US) 70, 70; Mark Hensby (Australia) 75, 65; Neal Lancaster (US) 70, 70; Charles Warren (US) 71, 69; Pat Perez (US) 74, 66; D.A. Points (US) 70, 70; Michael Long (New Zealand) 71, 69.—Reuters
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