Woosie lifted by rediscovery of form
Ian Woosnam was walking with a real spring in his step in Spain today – and not just because he had put himself in the hunt for the Madrid Open and a first tour title for eight years with a 65.
The 47-year-old Ryder Cup captain, a lowly 100th on the European Order of Merit this season, was also thrilled by the start made by playing partner Colin Montgomerie – round in 66 himself – in the race for places in his team.
He knows that Montgomerie, round in 66 himself and winner of the Dunhill Links championship two weeks ago and third behind Tiger Woods and John Daly in the Amex world championship on Sunday, is someone the Americans have a terrible record against and do not like facing.
“Good,” said Woosnam. “Let’s get another 11 of them.”
On a day of spectacular scoring – Spaniard Ivo Giner charged from four over par to seven under with a 60 – Woosnam reached halfway on eight under, while Montgomerie safely avoided the cut by improving seven strokes on his opening 73 to stand four under.
The lead, though, is held at 14 under by France’s Raphael Jacqueline. Yet to win on tour – he has had four second places – the 31-year-old repeated his first day 64 and is three ahead of Darren Clarke and England’s Gary Emerson.
Clarke, obviously another man Woosnam wants in his line-up at the K Club near Dublin next September, was not even planning to play the event two weeks ago, but dropped two tournaments in America because of his wife’s cancer fight.
As for Seve Ballesteros, playing his first event for almost two years, he avoided last place only with a last-green birdie for eight over, but did at least improve four shots on his initial 77.
He does not plan to play again this season but is looking at tournaments in Asia early next year to continue his comeback.
Amazingly, just six weeks into the Ryder Cup race, Montgomerie has already notched more points than he did in his entire 2004 campaign and is nearly up to the totals which qualified David Howell, Paul McGinley and Ian Poulter. Last year Monty needed a wild card from Bernhard Langer to make the team.
“I said to him on Wednesday that I had watched him and I’ve never seen him that relaxed,” stated Woosnam.
“I told him to keep it up and accept the bad stuff with the good stuff. He’s swinging well and if he gets some more points he’s in. That takes the pressure off me.”
The 42-year-old Scot’s immediate target is to take another step a record eighth European Order of Merit crown.
He is now £90,000 clear of Michael Campbell and £207,000 in front of Retief Goosen, the only other player who can catch him. Neither of them is in Madrid, but there is not enough money on offer for Montgomerie to clinch top spot before the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama in two weeks’ time.
“Every Euro and every point is very important for Ryder Cup and Order of Merit,” he said.
“Having reached number one I didn’t want to start faffing about.”
Woosnam has missed the cut in seven of his last nine starts and admitted: “I’d lost interest a bit.
“I’ve so much going on with Ryder Cup and building stuff at home (he has houses in Jersey and Barbados), but hopefully this will give me a gee up.”
He started his round with four birdies in five holes and finished with three in a row.
But even that could not match Giner, who covered the front nine in a dazzling 28 with an eagle and six birdies.
The 60 does not equal the European Tour record, however, because placing is allowed on the wet fairways.
Jacquelin needed to close with a birdie for a 62 but instead bogeyed it. He had earlier had nine birdies and said: “I don’t know whether this is my week, but this is the best way to start.”
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