Spain’s Jesus Maria Arruti shook off a two hour storm delay to post a seven under par 65 to lead the North West of Ireland Open at Slieve Russell Hotel Golf and Country Club.
Arruti, who plays at the same club as José Maria Olazábal, fired five birdies and an eagle in a faultless display to pull a shot clear of Tobias Dier of Germany and two ahead of England’s Andrew Marshall and Stephen Dodd and Mattias Eliasson of Sweden.
Having started his round at the tenth, Arruti had just made back to back birdies on the 13th and 14th when the players were called off the course as a thunderstorm passed directly overhead. But the 32 year old lost none of his momentum when play resumed two hours later, holing from over 70 feet on the 18th for an eagle to reach the turn in four under par 32.
Another brace of birdies on the fifth and sixth followed and an outstanding round was concluded with yet another birdie on his final hole, the ninth, where he hit an eight iron to nine feet and safely rolled in the putt.
“I played very well, very easy,” said Arruti. “Hit the driver well, the irons well and only missed one shot on the seventh but made a good up and down.
“I’ve struggled over the last few weeks in the big tournaments on the Challenge Tour but played with confidence today and that made the difference.”
Arruti has twice graduated to The European Tour, most recently in 1998, via the Qualifying School but admits that on both occasions he lacked confidence and comfortably lost his card. Currently occupying 24th place on the Challenge Tour Rankings, Arruti knows a good week here could secure his playing priveleges on the 2002 European Tour International Schedule, and feels he is now to join his close friend Olazabal on The European Tour.
Arruti has grown up with Olazabal at the Real Golf Club de San Sebastien and continues to play five or six rounds in the winter with the double Masters champion.
“He is a couple of years older than me but has given me a lot of encouragement and continues to do so. I phone him a lot and last saw him at El Saler. Now I think my game is good enough to play on the Tour."
A shot further back lies Dier, another player who has benefited from a few tips from a Masters champion, namely his compatriot Bernhard Langer. Dier continued his love affair with Slieve Russell with a bogey free round of 66. Dier shot the course record 65 in last year’s event before finishing joint fourthm his best performance on The European Tour. Having graduated from the Challenge Tour last season the 24 year old hopes this week will mark a change in fortunes as he fights to move up from 143rd in the Volvo Order of Merit to keep his card.
“I love it here,” he said. “You go out there and every shot is clear and I was holing everything today. I seem to shoot my lowest competitive rounds here so if they held a here I would be laughing. It might be the smallest event of the year on The European Tour but it is a lovely event and a great course.
“The last seven tournaments I have made a lot of silly mistakes which you can’t afford. But things are changing and I hope this is a new start.”
Andrew Marshall, who has financed his rookie season on The Challenge Tour by selling £500 shares in himself along with help from his home club at East Dereham, shot a five under par 67 despite finding water on the 16th. A poor six iron cost him a bogey four but the 27 year old bounced back with two birdies to finish although the two foot putt on the final green took two hours to complete due to the storm.
“I was left with the two footer on the last when we were called off but then had to wait two hours to hole it. Fortunately it was only a tap in. It was a nice steady round apart from the 16th.”
Marshall is currently lying fifth in the Challenge Tour Rankings thanks to two second place finishes and virtually certain of graduating to The European Tour next season. A good week this week will make certain.
Dodd rolled in an 18 foot birdie putt to join him on five under and as darkness fell Elliasson completed the trio two shots off the pace.
