Colombia’s Eduardo Herrera charged into the joint leadership of the 47th Abierto Mexicana de Golf with a flawless six under par 65 to join first round leader Sebastian Fernandez of Argentina at the head of affairs on 135, seven under par.
Fernandez was able to shake off a bout of 48 hour flu but couldn’t shake the cobwebs out of his game. He scrambled well, however, and by squeezing out a last hole birdie kept himself in position with a two under par 69. Compatriot Rafael Gomez was unable to capitalise on splendidly accurate iron-play, posting 70 for a five under par total and outright third place.
England’s James Heath, the 2004 English Amateur champion, making his professional debut in Mexico, posted a pair of 69s for a three way share of fourth spot with fellow Englishman and former European Tour winner, Van Phillips and Mexico’s Antonio Maldonado (both 68) on 138, four under par.
“I didn’t play that much different than on the first day but I did hit my approach shots a lot closer,” Herrera said of his best-of-the-tournament round: “The difference was that I was more aggressive on the greens and it paid off.”
Fernandez, a European Challenge Tour Member, said: “I got the bad one out of the way without too much damage and that’s good. I have to confess I did not play well but I managed to keep myself in the championship because I did not get down on myself. I hit a lot of poor approaches, and a number of tee shots that did not go where I wanted. But I just tried to play hole-by-hole golf and hoped it would turn around and finally, on the back nine I was able to get a little something to happen.”
Ireland’s David Higgins (139) only arrived on Wednesday evening after some travel problems and played his first round blind. “I looked at the course and thought it must be the hardest I’d ever played,” he said of the Hacienda Club’s tightly tree-lined fairways. “But I managed to scrape it round in one over par.”
On Friday, with more local knowledge and a growing confidence in his local caddie’s ability to offer him the right club Higgins, who finished in the top five three times in the 2004 Challenge Tour fired a superb 67 with five birdies for a share of seventh place on 139.
“The huge difference was knowing where to hit the ball off the tee, and getting acclimatized. Playing the last hole on Thursday, when at the hour it was in Ireland I’d already be in bed, was definitely a bit strange.”
