Barnes jumps five clear at Sanctuary Lakes

BY iseekgolf.com | Von Nida Tour | 2007 Victorian PGA Championship | Round Two | 26 Jan 2007

Jumping out to a five-shot lead at the halfway mark of the Victorian PGA Championship is power-hitter Kurt Barnes.

The 2002 Australian amateur champion backed up an opening 66 with a course record 62 that included eight birdies and a brilliant eagle on the fourth hole.

The burly golfer from the Hunter Valley in NSW has rededicated himself to the sport since the birth of his son 18 months ago.

“I’ve realised the importance of family,” Barnes explained. “We went home to Muswellbrook for Christmas and caught up with everyone. It was a great break and very relaxing. At the same time it made me appreciate how important the little things are. And that has flowed over into my golf game.”

Barnes made just one mistake throughout his terrific round, driving through the fairway on the eighteenth hole and ending up in a water hazard.

But after taking a mandatory drop on to dry land under penalty of one shot, he lofted a towering short iron to within two metres of the hole and sunk the putt for par.

In equal second place on 11 under par are Victorians Chris Gaunt and Alistair Presnell and Anthony Painter (NSW), while another Victorian and former champion Cameron Percy is a shot further back along with Andrew Tampion, Steve Bowditch and Jason Norris.

Ricky Schmidt was all smiles too following a hole in one on the sixth, a par three measuring 156 metres.

Schmidt launched his iron shot over the lake that separates the tee and green and watched the ball disappear into the hole cut on the front right alongside a deep bunker.

Low scoring has been a feature of the tournament so far. Fabulous weather and an immaculately presented golf course resulted in a 36-hole cut of 140 – four under par.

In today’s other big news story, Scott Draper has chosen golf ahead of tennis. The former Davis Cup star made the decision on his future following lengthy discussions with both his pregnant wife and two-time major champion Lleyton Hewitt.

Earlier this week, Draper was made a lucrative offer to take on a full-time coaching role with Australia’s No. 1 player. Draper had acted as the stand-in coach for Hewitt during the first three rounds of the Australian Open tennis championship.

But Draper, who is competing in the nab Victorian PGA Championship at Sanctuary Lakes, now has his mind fixed on developing a career as a tournament golfer.

“I had a long chat on the phone with Lleyton and let him know that I’d decided to go with golf,” said Draper, who missed the 36-hole cut by three shots after hitting out of bounds on the final hole.

“I made the decision because I didn’t want to have any regrets. That’s the last thing I wanted at this point in my life. Golf is now my dream and passion. I do it because I love it, not just for a job.”

Both men are close friends, so the decision to turn down such a high-profile coaching role was one Draper agonised over.

“Lleyton was really hoping that I’d say yes,” Draper said. “Despite being disappointed he completely understood and was very positive about my decision. We also spoke about his future plans and he is unsure at the moment. He has a lot to think about.”

Draper’s golf coach, Denis McDade, believes his pupil has a bright future on the PGA Tour.

“He is a genuine (golf) talent,” he said. “He ‘s a smart guy and he knows what it takes to reach an elite level. At the moment he needs more experience and to get better with his short game. Then he’ll start to contend more regularly.”

Source – Von Nida Tour