Peter Fowler leads halfway at Vic Open
BY iseekgolf.com | Von Nida Tour | 2007 Victorian Open | Round Two | 02 Feb 2007
New South Wales professional Peter Fowler holds a one-stroke lead after the second round of the 2007 Vic Open played at the Woodlands Golf Club today.
Taking advantage of ideal scoring conditions for the second successive day, Fowler returned a 69 for a two-round total of six-under 138.
The 1983 Australian Open champion leads from a group of four players on five under including Victorians Scott Laycock and Mark Leishman, Kim Felton from Western Australia and overnight leader Aaron Townsend.
Fowler set the platform for his round with an outward nine of 33, including four birdies in the opening five holes.
A steady back ninth with a bogey blemish on the 15th offset by a closing birdie on the 467-metre par five 18th saw the 47-year-old well placed to challenge for his first title since winning the European Tour’s BMW International in 1993.
Laycock, a winner of this event in 2001, returned a solid round of two-under 70 and is well positioned to challenge for a second Victorian Open title.
The feel good story of the first two days has been the golfing resurrection of young Victorian professional Jon Abbott who trails by just two strokes at the halfway mark.
The 25-year-old was in the golfing horrors just over a month ago during the Mastercard Masters at Huntingdale. An opening round in the 90’s was followed by an emotional withdrawal on the second day.
However with the support of his family and friends, particularly fiancé Karoline, Abbott has bounced back to the form that marked a distinguished amateur career and saw him win the Vanuatu Open in his rookie professional year last July.
Following a steady second round of three-under 69, Abbott was pleased to be back in form.
“I had nothing to lose”, when quizzed on what spurred the turnaround. “I was confident that it would come back and the last two weeks have been much better”, he said.
Although missing the cut at last week’s Victorian PGA, Abbott was three-under for the two rounds and has carried his revitalised game through to this week.
“It would have even better except for a bogey on seven and a three-putt bogey on eight”, the former Victorian State representative commented.
Abbott is in a bunch of ten players within two strokes of the lead on four-under par or better. One of those is talented New South Wales professional Aron Price.
A runner-up in this event last year, the 24-year-old Price had an even par 72 to follow his opening 68 yesterday.
“The course is excellent”, said the former AIS Golf Scholarship holder.
US professional Eric Egloff made the comeback of the second day. Languishing on six-over after an opening 78, the 41 – year-old equalled David Diaz’s course record of 64 to safely make the cut after finishing on two-under 142.
54 players survived to play the final two rounds of the 72-hole event with scores of 144 (even-par) or better.
Notable players to miss the cut included defending champion Diaz (146), former winners in Kurt Barnes (149) and Lucas Parsons (152), Queensland rookie professional Jason Day (145) and former US Amateur champion and now rookie professional Nicholas Flanagan (147) despite a 68 today.
Just three amateurs survived to the weekend with Victorian State Team member Josh Younger leading the way at three-under 141 after a 72 today.
Source – Von Nida Tour
