Bjorn lays down Ryder Cup marker
Thomas Bjorn defied gusts of up to 30mph today to open up a four-stroke lead in the Smurfit European Open – and show Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam how well he plays on the course where Europe defend the trophy next year.
The Dane, who served as an assistant to Bernhard Lange last September, is desperate to win back a place on the team and although qualifying does not start for another two months a victory at the K Club west of Dublin would have to be noted.
While others dropped shots like confetti – joint halfway leader Jamie Donaldson had a triple bogey and five double bogeys in an 82 – Bjorn produced a superlative 69 spoilt only by bogeying the 17th and three-putting the last for par.
It was still the joint best round of the day.
He is now on the eight under par mark of 208, with Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin closing with an eagle and England’s Jonathan Lomas with a birdie to move into second place on four under.
Bjorn walked out of the event after six holes last year, but that was on the other course at the complex and he was glad to return to the lay-out on which he won a £100,000 diamond necklace for his wife Pernilla four years ago by playing the par fives in 14 under.
Having won the British Masters in May another victory tomorrow could take him take of the European money list. And how sweet that would be 12 months ago after his game was in tatters and he was “fighting demons.”
What a confidence it would be as well for the Open atSt Andrews in two weeks’ time. He was second to Tiger Woods there in 2000 – albeit eight shots back – and that was the first time he had visited the Home of Golf.
Winning the £383,330 first prize might also earn him a shot at golf’s biggest cheque.
Two places are on offer for the HSBC World Match Play Championship at Wentworth in September from a mini-Order of Merit ending tomorrow night and Bjorn could leap ahead of the absent Adam Scott to join Angel Cabrera in the elite field battling for the £1million.
Jacquelin (70) and Lomas (72) will not be giving him the title just yet, of course, but a compensation even if they just fail to catch him could be a place in the Open.
Neither has qualified yet and nor have fourth-placed pair Graeme Storm and Andrew Coltart. But there is only one spot available to the leading non-exempt player.
Welshman Donaldson, like Jacquelin and Storm yet to win on the European tour, made a nightmare start, double-bogeying the first and bogeying the second. And things only got worse.
Bjorn, I contrast, birdied the fourth and ninth to turn in 33 and picked up further shots at the 13th and 16th before taking his foot off the pedal at the end.
Darren Clarke, in his first event after a month helping his wife Heather in her battle with cancer and heart problems, lies joint sixth on one under following a 75 in which he did not manage a single birdie.
Defending champion Retief Goosen fared worse, a 77 dropping him 10 off the pace.
American Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman also fell out of contention with a 79 - after incurring a two-stroke penalty for being late on the first tee by a few seconds. He and caddie Andy Martinez had both misread their scheduled start.
New US Open champion Michael Campbell, meanwhile, said he used the All Blacks’ victory over the Lions as inspiration as he birdied three of the first five holes en route to a 71 and one over aggregate.
“I watched the first half of the match it was very inspirational. I imagined myself being Daniel Carter, hitting tee shots down the middle like through the posts. What a legend, what a machine he is.”
After finding it hard to get his mind on the job in his opening 74 – no surprise after the high of a first major title – Campbell is content enough with how he has performed since.
“I’m just happy I made the cut this week and kept the engine turning over,” he said.
Colin Montgomerie shot 70 for two over and said: “That’s a good round. Four of those would win. My game’s coming together and I’m looking forward to the next two weeks.”
There has been much debate this week about the switching of next year’s European Open back to the K Club’s other course rather than keeping it on the Ryder Cup venue.
“Of course there are golfing advantages (for staying put) – huge,” commented Montgomerie. “But it’s whether it’s logistically possible.” Officials are worried about the areas around the course being damaged before the match.
“We have the advantage any way because we’ve played here before, as we had at Valderrama and The Belfry."
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