Mikael Lundberg from Helsingborg in Sweden embarks on a weekend mission to emulate his close friend, Henrik Stenson, by winning in his rookie season on The European Tour. The 27 year old fired a seven under par 65 at The K Club to open up a commanding three stroke lead at the halfway stage of the Smurfit European Open.
Lundberg produced a blistering finish, racking up four successive birdies to reach a 36- hole total of 132, 12 under par. He leads by three strokes from Welsh Ryder Cup player, Ian Woosnam, who covered the front nine in 30 blows on his way to a 66, and Norway’s Henrik Bjornstad (68).
The Swede, who finished fifth and seventh in his first five starts on The European Tour, had an intuition that Stenson would win the Benson and Hedges International Open in May, and now wants to locate a route into the winner'’ enclosure himself.
“We are good friends and I play with him quite a bit in practice” he said. “I played with him at The Belfry, in fact, and when he took the lead I thought he was going to win. We are totally different, though. He is a great ball striker. My strength is probably chipping and putting.”
Woosnam admitted he might not even recognise the Swede at the head of affairs, but acknowledged his achievement in shooting two rounds in the sixties over a difficult golf course. He said: “His 65 is a hell of a round so he is obviously a good player. Everybody out there with a card is a good player these days.”
Golf, admitted Woosnam, does not hold the same appeal as it once did, but his performance at The K Club suggested otherwise. He said: “I find it hard work. If you are in the same job for 26 years travelling around all the time living out of a suitcase – I don’t enjoy it like I used to. I am not giving up but cutting down.”
Bjornstad, who had opened with a 67, conceded that he felt tense over the first nine holes having been one of five co-leaders after the first round on 67. However he relaxed on the back nine, making four birdies – then revealed he is suffering from a complaint which attacks the liver and restricts his physical activity.
“It’s called mononucleosis. It’s a youth disease. It attacks the liver and I picked it up on the Wednesday of Benson and Hedges week. A few days later I was completely flat out and couldn’t do anything. Now I can’t drink alcohol for three months and can’t do any exercise like running or going to the gym. I can’t push my body too hard.”
Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington, who produced a storming weekend to share second place in the Murphy’s Irish Open last week, once again offered the home nation a glimpse of one of their own crossing the finishing line in front.
Clarke, impressed by his own efforts to keep a bogey off his card for 36 holes, stirred the crowd on the 18th by hitting a five wood 231 yards and knocking in the putt for a closing eagle three. That secured a second successive 68 for the Ulsterman and fourth place on 136, eight under par.
Clarke had good reason to relish a late start in the third round – he left the course hot-foot for a Robbie Williams concert at Lansdowne Road and was equally enthusiastic about the chance to watch the British and Irish Lions in action in Australia in the morning!
Harrington, who closed with three birdies in the closing four holes for a 67, shares fifth place with another co-leader from Thursday, Michael Campbell, and the up-and-coming Englishman, Paul Casey.
He said: “I am very, very pleased. Three birdies in the last four holes was very good. My focus was excellent and I hit a lot of good shots coming home. This round was very similar to my 64 in the last round of the Irish Open.”
Colin Montgomerie, who won at Fota Island last week, marked time with a level par 72 for 140 and attributed his inability to get closer to the lead to his play on the par fives. “That’s what it’s down to. I haven’t made a single birdie on the par fives – zero out of eight. I can reach six of them so that’s disappointing.”
The 2001 Smurfit European Open has certainly underlined the quality on Tour with no fewer than three players achieving holes in one over the first two days play. Following Anthony Wall’s ace on Thursday, Australian Stephen Leaney aced the eighth hole with a six iron and won a Renault Laguna II Sport Plus car.
Later in the day, Neil Cheetham of England conjured up ace number three, holing out using a six iron at the 170 yard third hole. Like Wall, he won a magnum of champagne and a weekend for two people at The K Club.
