Lonard heads to Carlsbad happy with effort at Nissan
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2004 Accenture Match Play Championship | General | 24 Feb 2004
Peter Lonard returns to scene of his biggest payday to date on the PGA Tour, when he tees it up at this week’s Accenture Match Play.
Last year he reached the semi finals before going down narrowly to David Toms at the last hole. He had earlier defeated Kenny Perry, Phil Tataurangi, Robert Allenby and Darren Clarke to reach the semis. He went on to again lose at the last to countryman Adam Scott in the playoff for third and fourth but the $US390,000 he earned, would be his biggest payday in golf to that and indeed this point.
Lonard has only just returned from an enforced layoff, the result of a rib injury he incurred while overdoing a fitness exercise. In his first event back last week he narrowly missed the cut at the Nissan Open.
Speaking on his website, www.peterlonard.com from the TaylorMade factory en route to La Costa for this week’s event, Lonard said, "Last week was reasonable. I made some mistakes from just being rusty with a lack of tournament play, but all in all I hit the ball well although was perhaps a little tentative with my putting which I suppose can be expected. If I had have been a little more hardened there was no way I would have missed the cut but I guess if I was that little more hardened I wouldn’t have been that close to the cut line. I still thought however that even par would make it for most of the day. Of course I would love to have made the cut but I am not too disappointed."
“I came across to the TaylorMade factory yesterday and spent today looking at their and the Addidas setup and have picked up a new driver so I can compare it to the one I am using. It is again the 540 model like the one I have currently, but the shaft is a little softer and has a little less torque. I’m not sure if I will put it in the bag as yet but will do the comparison before making a decision.”
“I will play tomorrow (Tuesday) at La Costa and even might try and get a few holes in this afternoon if the weather holds up but will hit balls later today. I hit some balls yesterday afternoon it feels ok so things are looking good.”
When speaking with Lonard a few hours ago the draw for the Accenture had, at that stage, not been finalised but his first round opponent now is and he will face Rocco Mediate in round one If successful there, will meet either Retief Goosen or John Huston in round two.
