Fine start to professional career for Nick Flanagan
IN: News | European PGA | Nissan Irish Open (2004) | Round Two | by Bruce Young | 24 Jul 2004
Nick Flanagan has started his professional career by comfortably making the cut at the Nissan Irish Open and at four under through thirty six holes, he is well placed to make his first cheque from the game, a substantial one.
Six shot behind the second round leader and fellow countryman Peter Lonard, Flanagan finds himself in 17th position as the event heads into the weekend on the County Louth Golf Club's, Baltry Course.
A double bogey early in the first round at the 7th hole, may well have been enough to sap his confidence at this new level, but he bounced back with five birdies in a stretch of six holes on his back nine on day one to finish with 70 and the luxury of slightly less pressure heading into day two. Another early bogey today was overcome with further birdies before an eagle at his 12th hole gave him the comfort of knowing that he would, barring accidents, make the cut. He would go on to do just that, in fact doing so by four shots.
Flanagan, who missed the cut last week at Royal Troon in his last amateur event and the last of the major exemptions he gained from his US Amateur win in 2003, has this invitation, another next week at the Scandinavian Masters and hopefully others to emulate the deeds of Australia's last great young hope, Adam Scott. In 2000, Scott accumulated enough money in eight starts as a professional on the European Tour to earn his 2001 European Tour playing privileges and the rest, as they say, is history. Should he be unable to do so then the Tour School at year's end is his next option.
Earlier this season Flanagan finished third at the co-sanctioned European Tour event in Australia, the ANZ Championship, thus highlighting his capacity to handle this level of play. He played several events in the US including the Bay Hill Invitational, the Masters and the US Open missing the cut in each, before heading to Europe where he missed the cut by two at the Scottish Open and by three at the British Open.
Such a positive start to his professional career here in Ireland therefore, is just what the doctor ordered as he looks to find his feet in the professional arena.
