McGowan retains lead in Portugal
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2009 Estoril Open de Portugal | Round Two | 04 Apr 2009
England’s Ross McGowan holds a one shot lead at the halfway stage of the Estoril Open de Portugal, his second round of 73 in the gusty winds of day two, enough to keep him ahead of Scotland’s Chris Doak and Spain’s Carlos Del Moral.
McGowan, the former English Amateur Champion, is in his second season on the European Tour after gaining his card via the Challenge Tour in 2007. One of McGowan’s victories that year was when winning the Estoril Challenge de Portugal in this region and he has again proved his liking for the area with this impressive start.
McGowan finished runner up to Danny Lee at the recent Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth and is clearly a player of some promise. His round of 73 followed an opening round of 64 yesterday.
Del Moral, who like McGowan played collegiate golf in the US before turning professional, is playing the European Tour for the first time in 2009 having earned his rights to play there via the Tour School in late 2008. He has made five of seven cuts to date but the 23 year old made a fast start to his round today and although he struggled over the closing stages is well placed as the tournament heads into the weekend.
31-year-old Chris Doak, another in his rookie European Tour season, is following up a good week last week in Spain where he finished 11th at the Open de Andalucia.
Paul Broadhurst, Simon Dyson, Stuart Davis, Miles Tunnicliff and Daniel Vancisk all share fourth place just two behind the leader.
Mark Brown is the best placed Australasian in 15th position after a second round of 68 while Wade Ormsby (43rd) and Michael Curtain (55th) were the only other Australasians to make the cut. For Curtain it is the first cut he has made in 2009 although he did make the cut in his debut as a European Tour player at the Australian Masters.
