Vancsik making his mark in Turin

With Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie among those already out, the BMW Italian Open could produce a real surprise winner in Turin tomorrow.

Argentina’s Daniel Vancsik, the world number 420 and without a top-20 finish in Europe for almost a year, took a one-stroke lead into today’s third round.

Tour rookie Gareth Maybin, from Northern Ireland, is second and the trio in third place two back comprise England’s Anthony Wall, Finn Roope Kakko and Icelander Birgir Hafthorsson – respectively 92nd, 472nd and 1,361st in the world.

The 32-year-old from Reykjavik, with 11 trips to the Tour qualifying school behind him, finished only 284th on last season’s money list with just over £7,000.

But there was a good reason for that – while lifting weights he felt a click and was then diagnosed with spondylolisthesis, a spine condition which causes vertebrae to slip to one side of the body.

He did not play a single tournament from May to November and needed a medical extension to keep his Tour membership.

“It was worrying, but it’s holding up well at the moment,” he said after a second-round 65 that was the lowest round of a Tour career which has yet to produce a top-10 finish.

Kakko’s 64 was also a personal best and would have equalled Maybin’s day-old course record but for the fact that placing was allowed on the fairways.

He does not even hold a full Tour card at the moment, yet was given a late chance to play with most of the circuit’s leading lights away in Florida at the Players Championship.

Montgomerie thought their absence would present him with a golden opportunity to get his career moving in the right direction again.

But the Ryder Cup captain, 46 next month, bogeyed the last two holes to miss the halfway cut for the second week running.

“I should not be missing cuts in these tournaments,” said Montgomerie. “I come to gain on the Order of Merit and world rankings and I’m losing ground.”

He is currently a lowly 96th on the Race To Dubai money list and down at 171st in the world.

“Never mind – I’ll try again next week.”

Trouble is that next week is the 3 Irish Open in Baltray and Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy are among those coming back from America for that.

While Montgomerie bowed out by two shots Clarke missed by seven, but American John Daly resumed only five behind Vancsik in his second event of the year.