Experience counts for Lima and Broadhurst

FORMER Ryder Cup duo Paul Broadhurst and Barry Lane, with more than 930 tournaments between them, proved the value of experience in the Portuguese Open yesterday.

Broadhurst carded a flawless 66 to share the halfway lead with Portugal’s Jose-Filipe Lima on eight under par, one shot ahead of Lane and fellow Englishman Simon Dyson.

Lane returned a 67 while Dyson set a course record with a superb 64 as the players made the most of calmer conditions at Oitavos Golf Club.

Broadhurst has not won a tour title since the French Open in 1995.

But the 39-year-old enjoyed his best season since 1999 last year and can take encouragement from Lane’s victory after a decade-long wait in the British Masters in 2004.

Broadhurst joked that Lane “owes me a tournament” following last year, but the 44-year-old was having none of it.

“I’m not going to let him have it that easy, absolutely not,” said Lane.

“He’s one shot ahead of me at the moment but he was one shot ahead of me in the British Masters after three rounds as well.

“It is good to see us both up there especially as we have been playing on tour together for about 18 years and have known each other such a long time. We are very competitive but we get on very well.”

Dyson’s 64 included seven birdies and an eagle, the Englishman covering the front nine in just 30 shots.

He narrowly missed out on a play-off for the Heineken Classic in Australia earlier this year and feels a maiden tour title is now overdue.

Surprise package Lima looked like leading on his own after firing seven birdies in 16 holes but became the latest victim of the treacherous 18th and had to settle for a 65.

The 23-year-old was born in Versailles and represented France until the end of last season when he adopted his Portuguese parents’ nationality and changed his name from Philippe to Jose-Filipe.

“It’s purely for my family,” said Lima.

“I love this country and it is important to play for your family. My father has supported me a lot. He loves golf and worked on the course for 37 years.”

Gary Murphy continues to spearhead the Irish challenge, the Kilkenny man added a 68 to Thursday’s 69 to remain in the hunt on five under par.

Damien McGrane carded his second 70 to lie six shots adrift of the leaders, while Peter Lawrie is level par. Philip Walton carded his second four over par round, while Stephen Browne was three over for the day, but 13 over after Thursday’s disastrous round.

* More than a quarter of the field in next week’s Masters had their build-up disrupted again yesterday when the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta was washed out for the second day running.

And, after officials announced there would be a 36-hole final day on Monday, Americans Chris DiMarco and Steve Flesch and Australia’s Stuart Appleby followed England’s Luke Donald out of the event.

Donald withdrew on Thursday citing a shoulder problem, but DiMarco, Flesch and Appleby could be fined if their only reason is that they want to be at Augusta National rather than the saturated Sugarloaf course at the start of next week.

Defending champion Phil Mickelson, former winners Ian Woosnam and Jose Maria Olazabal and US Open champion Retief Goosen are among the 21 Augusta-bound players left in, although further withdrawals will come as no surprise.