That rarest of birds – an albatross two – landed at Gleneagles to help Jonathan Lomas into the clubhouse lead at the end of a weather-affected first day’s play in the Gleneagles Scottish PGA Championship.
The 33 year old Englishman, who lives in Scotland, was in the first group due out on the PGA Centenary Course at 7.30am but dense fog around the Perthshire course put paid to play for three and a half hours.
When it did get underway at 11.00am, Lomas wasted no time in forging his way into contention but leapfrogged to the head of affairs when he holed his four wood second shot from 234 yards at the 503 yard 12th.
It was the fourth albatross two on the 2001 European Tour International Schedule and when Lomas followed it with six straight pars to finish, it gave him a six under par 66 and a one shot lead over Warren Bennett, Stephen Gallacher and Justin Rose.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever had an albatross and although the marshalls around the green were signalling something had happened, I couldn’t quite believe it had gone in – I’d have happily taken a birdie,” he said.
Away from the excitement of the 12th, the winner of the 1996 Chemapol Trophy Czech Open was flawless, his only departures from par coming at the second, fifth and eighth holes where he rolled in putts for birdies.
The fact Lomas succeeded in getting his blade to behave pleased him most for it had been on the greens that the Englishman had struggled of late.
“I’ve not played too badly tee to green, in fact this year I’ve played some of my best golf tee to green, but I’ve just not holed many putts,” said Lomas, who attributed his upturn in putting fortune to the fact he had returned to conventional methods.
“I tried my left hand under right for most of the season. At first it was okay, the stroke was nice and smooth, but I just couldn’t hit it on the line I was choosing. So I changed back and I seem to be hitting on the line I’m choosing now, which is more enjoyable.”
One shot behind were playing partners Justin Rose and Warren Bennett, who both included eagle threes in their respective 67s, Rose’s coming at the 12th hole, his third of the day, while Bennett’s came at the ninth, his final hole of the day.
While that aspect of their game was the same, the rest could not have been more different, Bennett, the 1999 champion, being steadiness personified with three birdies and 14 pars, while Rose endured a rollercoaster affair over the other 17 holes which comprised nine pars, six birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey at the short fourth where he fluffed a chip.
“When that happened I took a step outside myself and said, ‘Right, you’re two under par with five to play which is not a bad position to be in – let’s try and see if I can have a strong finish’ which I did with three birdies in a row from the sixth.
“It was a testament to my iron play which was pretty sharp but also I think it was my maturity coming through there. Rather than panicking and feeling like I’d lost my opportunity, I realised there was a long way to go.”
Rose’s growing maturity certainly impressed Bennett. He said: “I had to make an eagle on the last just to keep level with the young gun. We were speaking about it on the 18th tee and it is incredible to think he has got nine years on me because I just turned 30 on Monday.
“He’s got to be six years before he hits his peak and how good is he now – he can win a tournament soon. It’s not scary, it’s healthy to have a good crop of youngsters coming through.”
Hardly ready for the zimmer frame himself, Bennett admitted another win for himself in the event would help him achieve his goal for the remainder of the season. “I’m really looking at the Volvo Order of Merit now and the next three weeks are the most important of the year for me.
“If I can get into the top 20 after Switzerland, I get into the World Championship event in St Louis and that is massive. If I can get into the top 15 of the Order of Merit it will be a momentous achievement for me from where I was last year.”
Sharing second place was Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher who admitted a trip to watch his beloved Celtic secure their place in the Champions League the previous evening had spurred him on.
“I’m building on the confidence I gained at De Vere Slaley Hall when I was second behind Andrew Coltart in the Great North Open but I still lack a bit of consistency at a higher level and I think I need to putt better to achieve that,” he said.
Like Bennett and Rose, Gallacher also included an eagle at Gleneagles, his coming at the 516 yard second, and his four other birdies more than made up for his solitary dropped shot at the fifth.
Leading the chasing pack behind the leading four were two players who both finished their rounds on 68, Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance, who completed the impressive three ball with Bennett and Rose, and Ireland’s Gary Murphy.
When the onset of darkness halted play at 8.30pm, 22 groups were still on the course, requiring 66 players to return to finish their first rounds in the morning.
Of those, best positioned was Welshman Mark Mouland who moved alongside Lomas at six under par having played 13 holes, his position being constructed thanks to four birdies in a row from the ninth.
Next best was Australian Peter O’Malley, winner of the Compass Group English Open at the Marriott Forest of Arden in June, who moved to five under par after 15 holes before darkness fell.
