Goosen charges into lead at Loch Lomond
10/07/2009 - 13:07:18Course record holder Retief Goosen was at it again at Loch Lomond today, charging into the Barclays Scottish Open lead with a second-round 63.
The 2001 champion, whose record 62 actually came four years earlier than that, had an eagle and seven birdies to move from joint 17th overnight into a two-stroke lunchtime advantage over Australian Adam Scott.
But while Goosen moved impressively on to the 11-under-par mark of 131, Colin Montgomerie was assuming he had missed the halfway cut in his national championship for the third time in a row – despite closing with four successive birdies.
Europe’s Ryder Cup captain had been way down the field on four over when he began his run, and his 69 for level par still looked set to be one or two strokes too many to survive.
“I birdied them all, but you should,” said Montgomerie. “I’m not playing very well at all. It’s gone back to where it was the last one and a half years – disappointing.”
The 46-year-old has not had a top-10 finish for more than a year. The damage was done this time by a double-bogey six on the 16th, his seventh of the day, and a bogey at the short 17th.
Paul McGinley shared the lead for a while but in the end had to settle for a level-par 71 and seven-under total – while Darren Clarke and Ernie Els were three further back.
With overnight leader Richard Green among the later starters, Goosen took the opportunity to seize top spot quite brilliantly.
Three birdies took him to the turn in 32. After starting for home with another, he eagled the long third, birdied the next – and after dropping his only stroke on the fifth, came back with two more birdies.
Scott’s early tee-off time of 7.40am did not prevent tennis star Ana Ivanovic from being there to watch him continue his bid for the title.
He twice went into a share of the lead with birdies and had not dropped a shot in the tournament until he double-bogeyed the short fifth, his 14th.
Three birdies in what Montgomerie called the “easy” closing stretch gave him a 67 and a nine-under aggregate that was one better than his compatriot Marcus Fraser and also German Martin Kaymer, winner of the French Open last Sunday.
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