Green gunning for friend Scott

Australia’s Richard Green was today relishing going head-to-head with compatriot and close friend Adam Scott in the Scottish PGA Championship at Gleneagles.

Green began the day four shots behind pacesetter Scott, who defied the miserable conditions on Friday to card a superb 65 for a 12 under par halfway total.

But the Melbourne left-hander, joint second with Germany’s Marcel Siem overnight, is quite happy to be chasing the world number 61 over the final 36 holes.

“I am better at coming from behind, it was how I won in Dubai and I also won a couple of tournaments Down Under where I wasn’t leading going into the last round,” said Green, who won the Dubai Desert Classic in 1997 in a play-off with Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam, his only European tour title.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge again and I’m glad I’m playing with Adam because I know him well and he is a good mate of mine out here.

“I know some people find it harder playing directly against someone who is a friend but I actually find it better because I’m more relaxed.”

Relaxed would also be a good description of 22-year-old Scott, who birdied all five of the par fives and picked up two more birdies in his flawless 65.

Scott’s six-shot victory in the Qatar Masters in March – when he led by three at halfway after opening rounds of 67 and 66 – was only his second on the European Tour after a number of near misses, but he intends to get much closer to mentor Greg Norman’s total of 14 tour titles before switching his attention to the US tour.

“I haven’t put any time limits on myself over here,” said Scott, who feels his working relationship with Colin Montgomerie’s former caddie Alastair McLean is beginning to blossom.

“I’m going to play here until I feel comfortable that it is time to move on. I really feel until I become a dominant force over here then I don’t think I’m ready to move. I really want to prove myself over here.”

Until last week Scott thought he would be playing in the NEC Invitational in Seattle instead of Gleneagles, but the 22-year-old belatedly discovered his victory in Qatar and current world ranking of 61 were not good enough to qualify.

“I’m here to win this tournament and I will do that no matter where I am,” said Scott. “Obviously I would love to be in Seattle but I am happy to be here and I want to win this one.

“I feel if I can keep playing like this I can really put my foot down here and run away with it but I’ve got to keep playing well.

“I’ve played in a great rhythm the last two days, not put myself in any trouble and really taken advantage of the par fives. With five of them out there, that’s the key to a good score.

“When we started on Friday morning it was pretty tough, the ball was not going very far and the course was playing very long. It was very slow because we had to have the greenkeepers squeegee the greens to get rid of the water.”

Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance, who celebrates his 49th birthday today was five shots off the lead on seven under after a 68, alongside Welshman David Park and Sheffield’s Mark Roe.