Woosnam wobbles on closing holes

Ian Woosnam, seeking his first European Tour victory in 146 starts going back seven years, allowed a three-stroke lead to disappear over the closing stretch of the French Open today.

While Colin Montgomerie squeezed into the last two rounds on the limit of seven over par, 46-year-old Woosnam stood nine under with four holes to play at Le Golf National.

But then came bogeys at the 15th, 16th and 17th – the first two as a result of hitting irons left and then after doing the same with a drive.

Woosnam did, however, manage to par the 470-yard last for a 69 and so went into the weekend sharing top spot with France’s Jean-Francois Remesy.

“I was bleeding out there,” said the former world number one, only 109th on the European Order of Merit this season.

“I should have had more confidence to hit them straight at the flag but I tried to cut them and pulled them instead.

“You make mistakes and you just have to get on with them. Overall I played really solid and anything under 70 is a good score round here.”

His level of confidence was revealed, however, when he added: “I’ll be happy with a top-10 finish.”

His last one was when he was third in the Dubai Desert Classic in March last year.

Woosnam, never afraid to air his opinion, had some words to say about Sven-Goran Eriksson as well.

Remesy is trying to become the first home winner of the title since Jean Garaialde back in 1969.

The 40-year-old from Nimes, whose first try was as an amateur 19 years ago, said: “I’m playing good and feeling good. In my own country it’s a great feeling.

“I’ve won a few tournaments, so I know the story about pressure and I’m not thinking about winning at the moment. On this course you have to accept everything – it can go so quick.”

Remesy’s only Tour success was the 1999 Estoril Open in Portugal and came after 12 consecutive visits to the qualifying school. He was on the brink of giving up at that point, but visits to a sports psychologist over the winter persuaded him otherwise.

South African Darren Fichardt does not have to travel to see his – he is married to her. And she probably came in useful after he admitted to “a bit of a mental breakdown” mid-round.

Fichardt led the first round by one from Woosnam and before the Welshman teed off went three clear before taking a double-bogey seven at the ninth and then four bogeys in the next five holes.

“That double took a while to get out of my system,” he said. Once it was he birdied two of the last three and so will resume tomorrow in fourth place on three under, one behind Australian left-hander Richard Green.

Montgomerie could add only a 75 to his opening 74 and when he finished was convinced he would be making an early exit for the third time in his last seven tournaments.

Hours later the man who topped the Order of Merit from from 1993 to 1999 discovered he had survived by the skin of his teeth, having said: “There’s a fine line between success and failure. We all know that and that’s why seven in a row was bloody good.”

Out, however, went Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer on his return from eight weeks out with a wrist problem.

Langer put two balls into the water on the 427-yard 13th for a quadruple-bogey eight – he then threw a third in for good measure – and finished with a 78 for 13 over.

Brian Davis’ hopes of making Langer’s team suffered another setback when he bowed out on 10 over, but Paul Casey saved himself by playing his last four holes in two under for five over, one below Justin Rose.

Ian Poulter, currently in the last automatic spot and trying to overtake both Casey and Davis, was five under after 10 holes, but bogeyed the next three and then the last to well to fall five off the pace.