Bjorn on the rise

Few golfers have experienced more ups and downs in their career than Thomas Bjorn. And today was definitely the former.

The 35-year-old Dane, playing catch-up in the Ryder Cup race after being ill for over a month late last year and then missing five more weeks with a neck injury earlier this season, moved into contention for the Spanish Open with a second round 64 at San Roque.

Bjorn, who added the event to his schedule ahead of his British Masters defence in two weeks’ time, moved on to the 10 under par halfway total of 134.

That was one behind the early clubhouse leader, little-known Watford player David Griffiths, although out on the course late on Malaga-based Englishman Miles Tunnicliff was also 11 under and still had six holes to play.

Bjorn said: “It was one of those days when golf seemed easy and stress seemed far away.

“I’ve had six or seven months without much practice, but the last month or so I’ve been able to start getting my fitness a little bit stronger and getting my game back in shape.

“I’ve had problems with my neck since I was 18. I just have a very straight neck, no curvature, and it puts a lot of pressure on. Sometimes it gets so inflamed I have no movement.

“Travel does not help and the cold after thunderstorms is not very good for me, so I have to be very careful when we get bad weather.”

Bjorn has twice finished second in the Open, most famously, of course, after being three ahead with four to play at Sandwich in 2003, and was also joint runner-up in the US PGA last August following a major championship record-equalling 63 in the third round.

The most remarkable thing about that was that it came just a month after a closing 86 in the European Open at the K Club, where he had been four ahead with a round to go and was still joint leader when he took 11 on the 17th.

That was at the scene of this September’s Ryder Cup and it already held bad memories for him.

Twelve months earlier he walked off after six holes because he was “fighting demons” in his head.

The European Open is back at the K Club this summer – but Bjorn has already decided to stay away.

Former England amateur international Griffiths turned pro in 2001, but his first tour was the ‘second division’ Nationwide circuit in America.

He said: “I think I made only two cuts and came home halfway through the year, but it was good experience – I got away from home and learned how to do things for myself. My swing coach and fitness coach are there.”

The 25-year-old’s two previous trips to San Roque were for the qualifying school and he came through that ordeal both times. But it took him until Madeira last month for him to achieve his first top 10 finish.

Colin Montgomerie, four under overnight, had moved only to five under with four holes remaining, while Seve Ballesteros’s nephew Raul, nine under and four clear after 16 holes of his round, had fallen back to four under with three left.

Alongside Bjorn on 10 under were South African Titch Moore, Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara and Swede Fredrik Widmark, all of whom were entering the closing stretch, while first day leaders Graeme Storm and Jose-Felipe Lima stood nine and seven under respectively.