Diaz, Laycock share Victorian Open lead
IN: News | Von Nida | Victorian Open (2006) | Round Two | 04 Feb 2006
Victorian professionals Scott Laycock and David Diaz share the lead going into the final round of the 2006 Vic Open to be played at the Woodlands Golf Club on Sunday February 5th.
Taking advantage of ideal scoring conditions for the second successive day, Laycock fired a superb seven-under 65 in the morning to reach 10-under par after the completion of 36-holes. Diaz then broke the course record in the afternoon with an eight-under 64 to join the 2001 Victorian Open Champion at the top of the leader board with one round remaining.
Laycock and Diaz lead by two strokes from a group of four players on eight-under including Victorian professional Euan Walters, rookie ACT professional Andrew McKenzie, Queensland's Marcus Cain and overnight leader Aron Price from New South Wales.
Walters, looking to bounce back to the form that saw him hold a US PGA Tour card last year, fired an immaculate 65, McKenzie had a 69 while Cain returned a second successive four-under 68 to all sit on a two-round total of 136. Price played steadily in the afternoon sea breeze to card a one-under 71.
After overcoming injury and becoming fitter thanks to a routine of riding and running, Laycock is well positioned to challenge for a second Victorian Open title. Capitalising on great ball striking, the 35-year-old returned seven birdies and no bogeys in his second round highlighted by a chip in birdie on the 409-metre ninth and "holing a bomb on the 13th".
"I got off to a great start with birdies on one, three and four and gave myself plenty of good chances," he commented at the conclusion of the round. "I missed a few other opportunities with the putter on the back nine as well".
Domiciled on the Japanese Tour and a winner of the 2002 Bridgestone Open, Laycock was pleased to be in contention indicating that "It's nice to be shooting scores well enough to win. Ideally I'd like to win a couple of times this year and to do that you've got to give yourself lots of chances."
Despite retaining his card in Japan in 2005 and playing well over the Australian summer, a luke warm short game meant that "I didn't get much for it," he concluded.
Meanwhile Diaz's spectacular afternoon course record included nine birdies and a single bogey on the 378 metre 14th. Beginning his round on the 10th, the 38-year-old journeyman professional set the foundation for the score with an outward nine of 33.
Diaz then rattled home in 31 including four birdies in his final six holes. Despite being a professional since 1990 and a winner of the Schweppes Coolum Classic in 1993, Diaz is more recently renowned for auctioning off a position as his caddie after he qualified for last year's British Open. However the opportunity now beckons for the Melbournian to win his first title since taking out the 2003 Queensland PGA.
While there are 16 players within four shots of the two leaders, perhaps the most ominous would be the 2002 Australian Open winner Steve Allan. A former Woodlands Pennant representative, the 32-year-old is well placed to challenge after a second successive 69 to finish at six-under.
When the dust settled on a leaderboard dripping with red sub-par numbers, the shot of the day went to local amateur Tom Prowse. The Victorian Colts Team member from Yarra Yarra Golf Club scored a hole-in-one on the 197-metre par three eighth hole with a three-iron. "It pitched a couple of metres short of the hole and went in. It was just as well as it helped me make the cut," Prowse said.
Prowse's amateur status saved sponsor E-Z-GO Carts from giving away a luxury golf cart for a hole-in-one on the same hole. The conditions of the prize only allowed the prize to be collected by the first professional to achieve the same feat.
58 players survived to play the final round of the 54-hole event with scores of 142 (two-under-par) or better. Notable players to miss the cut included defending Champion Kurt Barnes, despite a second round of 67; 1993 Victorian Open winner Lucas Parsons and this week's British Open qualifiers in Michael Wright and Adam Bland.
Leading amateur honours after two rounds is shared by World Junior Champion Jason Day and Victorian State Team member Ashley Hall from Huntingdale on four-under 140.
Source - Golf Victoria
