Craig Warren runs hot at NSW Open

BY iseekgolf.com | Von Nida Tour | 2004 New South Wales Open | Round Two | 19 Nov 2004

Course records were tumbling like nine pins at Liverpool today in ideal scoring for the second round of the $100,000 New South Wales Open Championship.

Young Victorian Jarrod Lyle, a newcomer to the professional ranks, shot a slashing 64 to leap into contention. Still no sooner had his course record score been added to the leaderboard when veteran former Narrandera professional Craig Warren entered the fray.

Warren, who now lives in Queensland, looked certain to miss the cut after an ordinary four-over par 76 in yesterday’s first round.

Today he shot into contention with a blistering nine-under-par 63 which included an amazing seven birdies on the front nine, which he played as his back nine.

Warren was probably wondering if he would even be there for the weekend after the first nine holes of his second round as well.

He reached the turn in three-under par after birdies at eight or nine to give him some incentive to go on with the job.

Still he was hotter than Sydney’s early-morning western suburbs heatwave on his second nine, birdieing his first three holes before a par at the fourth.

He fired up again immediately with three more birdies in succession at the fifth, sixth and seventh before a bogey-birdie finish and a new course record of 63 (nine-under).

That left Warren just outside the top 20 and looking assured of making the cut.

Midway through the second day Central Coast golfer Ricky Schmidt continued to hold the lead he established on day one.

Schmidt shot a slick second-round 68 to go with his first-round 65 to sit on 11-under par and two strokes ahead of a group of three, Victorians Heath Reed (68-67) and Jarrod Lyle (71-64) and Queenslander Shannon Beck (78-68).

Of the big names, Peter Lonard and Paul Gow had both moved to six-under for the tournament after nine holes while their playing partner, former rugby league international Paul ’Fatty’ Vautin started birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey to give the big crowd following the trio something to cheer about.

Still Vautin was two-over for the day after nine holes and faced a Herculean task to even make the cut.

Source – NSWGA