Angler Siem the man to catch

IT promises to be an exciting moving day today at the Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland as Marcel Siem takes a one-stroke lead into the third round with 24 players within five shots of him.

Germany’s Siem stole the show at the 11th hour last night to take the outright lead. The 31-year-old, whose best finish on the European Tour this year has been a share of 13th place in the Ballantine’s Championship on May 1, was in the third from last group to tee off their second rounds at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club yesterday. He closed the day out with a bang, finishing eagle, birdie, par for a second consecutive 66 to get to 10 under par and take a one-shot lead over first-round leader Jeev Milkha Singh of India and Denmark’s Soren Hansen into today’s third round.

Ignacio Garrido of Spain and England’s Simon Dyson shot the rounds of the day, each carding a six-under-par 65, to leave the former in fourth place on eight under while Dyson shares fifth place on seven under with his compatriots Ross Fisher, the defending champion, Simon Wakefield and Oliver Wilson as well as Rafael Jacquelin of France and Australia’s Richard Green.

And for the home fans expected to throng this course by the shores of Lough Leane, there will be plenty of Irish interest to follow just in front of the leaders, not least with the past two US Open champions Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy back in contention after rounds of 66 and 68 respectively, having both reached four under par.

Their Major-winning compatriots Darren Clarke, the newly-crowned British Open champion, and three-time Major champion Pádraig Harrington will not be around to enjoy the festivities, however. Clarke, still carrying what he described as “self-inflicted man-flu” in the wake of his post-Sandwich celebrations, could only follow up his opening 69 with a 74 while Harrington’s poor results continued as a 72 to follow his Thursday 73 meant his second missed cut in succession.

“Disappointing for the event, really, that Darren and Pádraig had both missed the cut,” McDowell said following his own 66. “It would have been great to get us all up there in contention but the crowds have been fantastic. They just came out in the thousands and have really given us great ovations coming on to the greens.

“If myself and Rory play together (today), that could be very boisterous. That’s a lot of fun; the event has got exactly what it needs. We’ll try and make a great weekend of it and see if we can get a home winner.”

McDowell, who will be 32 today, will not get his birthday wish and he will be playing alongside Romain Wattel of France, with McIlroy out in the next pairing with David Howell.

“My record here is not stellar, but very happy to go out and play the way I did today, and I’ll be looking forward to a good day tomorrow. It’s my birthday tomorrow, so I’ll be looking at my 32nd year, and it will be nice to go out there and shoot a little 64 or 65, be a nice birthday present.”

Yet their play yesterday and that of the non-Major-winning Irishmen meant there was still plenty to cheer for the 20,215 fans in Killarney, up from 17,396 on the corresponding day last year.

That was thanks to a quartet of Irishmen in amateur Paul Cutler, Michael Hoey, Peter Lawrie and Damien McGrane, all poised handily on six under, four back of the German leader.

Siem though, took the plaudits following his second-round 66, which featured an eagle at the par-five 16th, five birdies and two bogeys, albeit a little too late in the day for his liking in one of the few tournaments where everybody starts at the first tee in the opening rounds.

“It’s a great venue here and I love that golf course, and the crowds we had here the first two rounds is perfect,” Siem said. “If we had that every week, it would be great. One start, it’s always special, and we only have the Open and Wentworth, and it’s good. Luckily, I have a late tee time tomorrow, so I’m okay with 8pm coming off the course.”

Siem had spent the morning fishing on the lake, catching three perch, he said, and it did him no harm at all to the course. The eagle vaulted Siem above Singh, who had followed his opening 63 with a consolidatory 70, and the 2002 Irish Open champion Hansen, who matched the German’s 66 with six birdies and a bogey.

Fisher, who received honorary life membership of Killarney & Club in a presentation after his second-round 68, is still very much in the mix for a first repeat Irish Open victory since Colin Montgomerie won back-to-back at Druid’s Glen in 1996 and ’97.