Mighty Moate’s Mixed fortune
In doing so, the Westmeath Club won their first green pennant in this competition and the third in the Club’s history, having won the Jimmy Bruen in 1998 at neighbouring Athlone before clinching the Junior Cup at Lahinch in the millennium year.
Eamonn Darcy was the leading Irishman on day one of the Bovis Lend Lease European Senior Masters at Woburn yesterday after carding a level par round of 72, over the Duke’s Course.
It was a battling performance as the 53 year old former Ryder Cup player started with a bogey at the par five first and then dropped a further two shots in his next six holes. But back-to-back birdies after the turn gave Darcy fresh impetus and he came home in two under.
Darcy was tied second in this tournament in 2002 and fourth last year, but he already finds himself five shots off the lead held by England’s Kevin Spurgeon and American Bob Boyd, who are both graduates of the 2004 European Seniors Tour Qualifying School.
A shot back on four under is Scotland’s Sam Torrance with Mark James of England among a group on minus two.
Ireland’s Paul Leonard, who won this event in 2002, had a day to forget as he came home in six over par 78, while countryman Eddie Polland fared only slightly better with a 75.
The three other Irishmen in the field, John Curtis, Liam Higgins and Denis O’Sullivan finished four, six and eight over respectively.
Belfast’s Michael Hoey put together a brilliant back nine of six under par 29 to move into a share of the halfway lead at the European Challenge Tour’s BA-CA Golf Open, presented by Telekom Austria.
The 26 year old former British Amateur champion began his outstanding second round of 64 from the tenth tee at the fabulous Fontana Golf Club and turned in one under before his explosive finish saw him post an 11 under par aggregate of 131 to share the lead with Austrian Clemens Prader.
“My goal between now and the end of the season is to win a tournament,” said Hoey, who opened with a 67. “I have been in good positions to win this season already and not finished it off and these things definitely play on your mind,” he said.
David Higgins, currently sixth on the Challenge Tour Rankings, was the only other Irishman to make the two under par halfway cut after a second round 69 left him on three under, while Colm Moriarty (one over) and David Jones (13 over) were forced to catch the early flight home.
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