Twenty one players within four shots at Heineken

BY Bruce Young | Australasian PGA Tour | 2005 Heineken Classic | Round Two | 04 Feb 2005

It is hard to imagine better conditions for golf than those that prevailed early on day two of the 2005 Heineken Classic. The rain which had fallen on pro-am day, and to a lesser extent on day one, had taken the fire out of the course, there was not a breath of wind and Royal Melbourne greens were close to their perfect best.

The leaderboard would soon back that up as the 32 late finishers from yesterday completed their rounds and headed back out.

First to move was James Nitties, who two months ago was runner up at the Australian PGA Championship in just his fourth start as a professional. Nitties birdied the second and third holes to get to five under and within a shot of the overnight leaders, Peter Lonard, Steve Webster and Trevor Immelman. It would develop into a topsy turvy round for Nitties. However as no sooner would he birdie a hole but he would bogey the next. He found a way to string together two birdies to finish his round and when he did, he was at seven under and in a share of second place at that stage.

“We had good conditions all the way through so there should continue to be some good scoring out there,” Nitties said in his post round press conference. “I didn’t hole a lot of long putts even though I had nine birdies. My goal this year is to get a tour to play on. What I have to do at this stage this season is play wherever I can get starts and it will make it hard to get things going. These next few weeks with the co-sanctioned events therefore are very important for me to play well.”

Nitties has no place to play in 2005 other than on the Australasian Tour although he does have invitations to six events in Japan courtesy of his relationship with Srixon. He will also attempt to play in several Nationwide Tour events in the US but obviously a win here or at the New Zealand Open, The Jacobs Creek Open or the New Zealand PGA would give him immediate access to the European or Nationwide Tours.

Craig Parry after his opening 69 moved the five under for the day and seven under for the tournament and briefly held the lead when he birdied the 11th hole. He bogeyed his 15th hole, but bounced back with a birdie at the 16th to get back within one of Montgomerie. He was unable to pick up a birdie at the par five last but at seven under he looks a threat on a golf course where he starred in the 1998 Presidents Cup.

“I had two chip ins and holed another from off the green,” said Parry “so I was fortunate in that regard, but apart from that I played pretty solid the whole way round. One of those chips ins had came at the treacherous 4th and was to save par. My shot from the fairway screwed back into the bunker and then my bunker shot also came back to the fluffy grass at the front of the green.”

“I was concerned with that shot also as I needed to make sure that I did not miss hit that otherwise I may well have been back in the bunker from where I started. Fortunately for me it went in. The greens were very receptive but by the time the weekend comes around these greens will be back to what they have been previously, firm and fast.”

Parry’s immediate goal is to play well this week and next as he is keen to get a start at the Accenture. Currently 65th in the World ranking he is looking to move into the top 64 if needed to gain a spot.

Last week’s Singapore Masters runner up, Colin Montgomerie, joined him in the lead and the new look Monty was once again in the thick of things. He turned in 34 but then birdied his 10th, 11th, 12th and 16th holes to reach eight under and take the outright lead from Parry. He finished with the almost compulsory birdie at the last hole the course’s 9th and had the lead. It was a relaxed and at times jocular Montgomerie in the press conference later.

“It’s always nice to score well on this golf course. I’ve just got the stats for last week and I am now leading the fairways hit and greens hit and that is what I used to do when I was playing well. I led those categories for seven years in a row and that is the way I am beginning to play again. I think I may have hit the ball better last week but I have positioned it a lot better here. This is also a much more demanding golf course than last week in Singapore.”

It is very much a slimline Montgomerie that we see in Australia this year. He also appears to be very much at piece with his world. When asked how difficult it has been, as a high profile sportsmen, with the personal issues he has had to deal with the Scot was quick to respond. “All I would like to say on that is that I have never been happier in my life either on or off the golf course.” His return to form perhaps reflects just that.

As Nitties, Parry and Montgomerie filed into and out of the tournament Media Centre, the overnight leaders were about to head out for their second rounds. With the cut by that stage looking to be around even par, Ernie Els and Adam Scott who were in the group with one of the leaders, Peter Lonard, would need to improve on their Thursday effort if they were to entertain spectators rather than themselves at the weekend.

Els got just the start he wanted with three birdies in his first five holes to be at two under for the tournament and was this the start of something big? A bogey at the 6th slowed things a little but he was back with another birdie at the 7th to move back to two under. Another birdie at the par five 9th and he was at three under and then only six back of leader Montgomerie.

Lonard parred the first, but from the left hand rough at the second he knocked a two iron to two feet and the resultant eagle saw him move to within one of Montgomerie’s lead. If he goes on to win the tournament it may be that he will look back on this shot as the one that was of most significance. He holed from fifteen feet for another birdie to join the lead but then bogeyed the 8th despite a delightful bunker shot. He failed to get his birdie at the 9th after driving it left and then drove it badly again at the 10th although this time it was right. He dropped a shot there after failing to get up and down. He bounced right back with a birdie from twelve feet at the par three 11th, and then kept an even keel until the 16th when he holed from thirty feet for birdie and a share of the lead.

After his round Lonard admitted that he had hit only one decent shot all day and that was the brilliant two iron from 240 yards to set up an eagle at the second. The rest was not good and not bad but there were things that he needed to work on. His bad drives at the 9th and 10th were probably what he had in mind.

Trevor Immelman looked great through eleven holes today as he reached four under for the round and at ten under for the tournament, he held the lead on his own. Two holes later however that outright lead was gone and two further holes later his share of the lead lead was gone as he bogeyed two of three holes in the middle of his back nine to slip one behind Lonard, Montgomerie and Lyle. Yes, Lyle – Jarrod Lyle.

Jarrod Lyle is a 20-year-old from Shepparton in country Victoria who turned pro just last year after representing Australia at the Eisenhower Trophy in Puerto Rico. This is just his fifth professional tournament, his debut coming at the NSW Open when fifth there. An eagle at the 9th today moved him to ten under and the lead was his on his own. It was only briefly however as a bogey at the par three 11th saw him drop back to share the lead with Lonard and Montgomerie but then he was back again with a birdie at the 12th. Two bogeys over the closing few holes saw him slip to eight under but it was a fine performance by the rookie.

Ernie Els crept back into contention with his second round 64 and he will have pleased the tournament organisers with his efforts as he is now very much in the mix and there will be much interest as to whether he can win this tournament for the fourth consecutive year. There will be a lot who think he can, perhaps even some of those close to him on the leaderboard.

The notables to miss the cut were Thomas Bjorn, Nick Faldo, Michael Campbell and Greg Norman.

The cut fell at even par with 82 players making it through.

Photo – Anthony Powter