Under-pressure Carter finds his form
England’s David Carter began the race for places in Europe’s Ryder Cup team with a sparkling six under par 65 in Switzerland today.
But what matters most to the 33-year-old right now is saving his tour career, not making a cup debut against America next September.
Carter, a World Cup winner with Nick Faldo in 1998, lost his card two years ago and at 121st on the Order of Merit needs to find some form to avoid another make-or-break trip to the qualifying school.
The Gothenburg-based player – his partner is the sister of Swede Fredrik Jacobson – has not had a top 10 finish since January last year and only two since the end of the 2002 season.
But he began the Omega European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre by keeping a bogey off his card and grabbing six birdies.
The round gave Carter an early one-stroke lead over Sweden’s Jarmo Sandelin, a member of the 1999 Ryder Cup team who is also fighting for his tour future.
Sandelin, who had the last of his five victories three years ago, stands a lowly 146th on the money list after missing 15 halfway cuts in 22 starts this season.
Defending champion Luke Donald, a man with a second Ryder Cup appearance very much in his plans, made exactly the flying start to the campaign he was looking for.
Back on the course where he won by five on his first visit last year – he never scored worse than 67 – Donald played the first 10 holes in four under par.
The 27-year-old world number 14 did then bogey the difficult fourth, his 13th, but another birdie three holes later lifted him into a share of third place with another Swede, Michael Jonzon, France’s Christian Cevaer, both in the clubhouse with 67s, and Mansfield’s tour rookie Oliver Wilson.
“Obviously I’d like to qualify by rights from my own efforts rather than rely on a wild card,” Donald had said on the eve of the event. “It can’t do any harm to accumulate some world ranking points and prize money early.”
He was selected by Bernhard Langer a year ago and partnered Sergio Garcia to two foursomes victories in the record-breaking victory in Detroit.
Donald then went on to capture the World Cup with Paul Casey in November, but while he has yet to taste success this season a second place finish in the Players Championship and third place on his Masters debut have taken him close to his main goal for the year of a place in the world’s top 10.
Garcia and Casey were among the later starters today, but Miguel Angel Jimenez, the only other member of last year’s side in the event and runner-up to Donald 12 months ago, had some catching up to do after bogeys at the 13th and long 15th.
He remained two over with three to play.
