Chubby’s champagne sets Lucquin on a roll

IT’S been revealed Frenchman Jean Francois Lucquin celebrated last week’s Omega Masters European Tour maiden Tour success with champagne intended for Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy’s manager, Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler grabbed three bottles of bubbly to celebrate the 19-year old’s expected maiden success.

But when the Belfast teenager was beaten in the play-off by Lucquin, Chandler gladly handed over the champers to a number of grateful French players who proceeded to drench the delighted Lucquin.

This emerged after Lucquin brilliantly continued his Swiss winning form in joining reigning Irish Open champion Richard Finch at the top of the leaderboard on day one of the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Cologne. Lucquin dropped just one stroke in a six under par 66 on the Gut Larcenhof course whilst Finch capped his round in birding five of his opening seven holes.

Paul McGinley produced a roller-coaster 73 and then ended further debate over his vice-captaincy snub until after next week’s Ryder Cup.

Former victorious European Captain Bernhard Langer rekindled the controversy on Wednesday saying Nick Faldo was making a ‘big mistake’ in taking just one deputy and not reappointing McGinley.

“It’s all over and it’s done and dusted, and I’m not going, so it’s end of story as far as I am concerned,” said McGinley. “Faldo was very clear in his press conference, so end of story. It doesn’t need to be discussed.

“Some day in the future I would love to be a Ryder Cup captain but there is a lot of water to go under the bridge before I am in that category.” “It’s nice that Bernhard said I would be a good asset but I don’t want to take anything away from Nick’s captaincy.”

Spanish Open champion Peter Lawrie, who played alongside McGinley and Finch, carded a level par 72 while Ryder Cup rookie Graeme McDowell also signed off for a 72 and Darren Clarke dropped three shots over his closing two holes in a 76.

Elsewhere, A breathtakingly brilliant round of 62 saw the North’s Gareth Maybin take control on the first day of the inaugural Qingdao Golf Open on the European Challenge Tour.

Maybin boasted some blistering strokeplay to move to 10 under par, three shots clear of his nearest challengers, Norway’s Lars Brovold and Scotland’s Greig Hutcheon.

With €€56,049 on offer to the winner this week, and an even bigger prize fund available in Kazakhstan next week, Maybin could not have found form at a better time.

But having come close to victory four times this term, the man from Belfast is refusing to get carried away.

He said: “It was a once in a lifetime round, but it’s only the first day. If I go and shoot 75 tomorrow, it will have been a waste of time. But obviously I’m delighted — it’s not every day you shoot a 62. In fact, I’ve never done it before!