Emerson and Broadhurst make move

With the course and conditions still conspiring against the majority of the field at the KLM Open in Holland, it took two of the more experienced players in Gary Emerson and Paul Broadhurst to show how it should be done.

The tree-lined Hilversumsche Golf Club has been made more difficult this year with fairways cut tighter and rough grown higher and the results have been reflected in the scores.

It said something for the nous shown by the 41-year-old Emerson, leader on eight under, and 39-year-old Paul Broadhurst, one shot back, that no-one really challenged the scores they posted early in the day.

Emerson, one under at the start, had few of the problems experienced by his fellow competitors in registering nine birdies, including eight in 11 holes mid-round, with only two bogeys.

That equalled his European Tour career-best round of 63, which he shot at the Celtic Manor Wales Open last week.

The Wimborne golfer dropped back to level par after a bogey at the fourth but that was the start of an amazing run as three birdies took him to the turn in 33.

He picked up further shots at 10, 12 and 13 all with putts from inside 12 feet before a 35-footer from the fringe of the 14th green took him clear at the top and he was four feet from winning a £46,000 BMW car at the 157-yard 15th when he hit his tee shot stone dead for an eighth birdie of the day.

He gave one shot back at the next though when his curving 18-foot par putt stopped short but returned to eight under after two-putting from the front of 18th green for birdie and a back nine of 30.

Emerson, who won his maiden title on a not dissimilar course at the BMW Russian Open in Moscow last year and finished joint ninth here in 2003, admitted he felt the design of the course suited him.

“I think it takes an older head to do well round here because the rough is penal,” he said.

“I like playing tree-lined courses – it is easier to pick out targets and see shots. This course is a great test. It is an old-fashioned course, a bit like a Sunningdale in Holland.

“I played nicely yesterday and today I just holed a few more putts. I have nearly been playing very well recently so it is just a case of being patient and waiting for the right tournament to arrive.”

Broadhurst’s patience was definitely tested after he lost a ball on the 11th hole, had to play three of the tee and ended up with a double-bogey six.

The former Ryder Cup player, one of the five joint-leaders overnight, had gone to the turn in 35 after a birdie three at the seventh restored him to four under after dropping a shot at the first and he picked up another shot at the 10th.

He found the trees at the 11th but received a marshal’s signal to say he was still in play only to arrive at the designated spot and discover there was no ball there – hence the long walk back to the tee.

However, it appeared to spark the Warwickshire golfer into life and he birdied four holes in a row to move to seven under.

“The double-bogey was a kick up the backside,” said Broadhurst, winner of the Open de Portugal in April.

“I am querying it (the tee shot) because I know it is in trouble but the marshal stuck his board up and you take that to mean he has it.

“But when I got there there was no sign of it. That was the one disappointing part of the round.

“The good shots were really good and I hit a lot of fairways – which is good for me. I’m pleased so far.”

Italian Alessandro Tadini carded a 64 to move into third on six under with Scotland’s Steven O’Hara and Southampton’s Richard Bland among those on five under after rounds of 65 and 64 respectively.

Philip Walton, the Irish 1995 Ryder Cup winner, pulled out with an injured wrist after 10 holes of his second round but was seven over and destined to miss the cut anyway.