Fabrizio Zanotti leads the Open de France after 36-holes, as
he seeks his first victory on the European Tour. Zanotti, the 30-year-old from
Paraguay, followed his round of 68 from Thursday, with another on Friday in the
sunshine that adorned Le Golf National. The Paraguayan has finished second on
three occasions on the Tour, with the most recent coming at the 2012 Irish
Open. However, he hopes that he can convert his slender advantage into that
maiden victory, as he takes a one-shot lead from Thomas Bjorn, Richard Sterne
and Soren Kjeldson into Saturday.
“I’m very happy,” said Zanotti, reflecting on his round. “I
struggled a little from the tee but I putted very well during the day and
pretty happy with the round. It was pretty tough out there, and the course is
playing very hard, so very happy.”
He completed his front-nine in 33 strokes, before
successfully navigating Le Golf National’s fearsome finish in level par: “I
think it's a very good score, so I will try to keep playing like this and just
have fun.”
He looked impeccably relaxed throughout his round, on a
course that provides a strict test on all facets of your game; not leas the
mental side. However, it has been a positive two days for Zanotti, in a season
that has thus far been devoid of much positivity: “I haven’t played very well
during the year, but I'm working very hard and I think this is because of all
the work; I am always positive.”
Zanotti came into this week ranked 131st on the
Race to Dubai. So a 36-hole performance of this calibre was not widely
expected, particularly on one of the Tour’s most revered venues. He reflected
on the challenges of playing through his difficult run of form:
“It's pretty tough to keep working when you are not playing good, but that is the way all the guys play good, so you have to keep working to get where you want.
“On a course like this, I think that you have to accept everything. It's playing very tough and the greens are getting hard, so it's going to be very hard. Like I said, keep patient and have fun - there is no other way.”
“It's pretty tough to keep working when you are not playing good, but that is the way all the guys play good, so you have to keep working to get where you want.
“On a course like this, I think that you have to accept everything. It's playing very tough and the greens are getting hard, so it's going to be very hard. Like I said, keep patient and have fun - there is no other way.”
With overnight leader Anders Hansen falling away with a
round of 78, it was up to his compatriots Thomas Bjorn and Soren Kjeldson to
fly the Danish flag. The 42-year-old Bjorn, who is attempting to ensure of his
qualification for The Open Championship through the Tour’s mini order of merit,
had held the outright lead before dropped shots at the 8th and 9th
to fall back to 5-under. A frustrating finish for the popular Dane, who many
believe could be the European Ryder Cup captain when the biennial event is
staged at Le Golf National in five years time.
However, much like Zanotti, Soren Kjeldson could only view
his day in a positive manner, after a half-season that has lacked much in the
way of genuine contention. The three-time winner on the European Tour reflected
on his day and his relaxed approach to the weekend: “I haven't really been in
contention in any tournaments this year, so this is a massive bonus,” he said.
“You're not going to get me to talk about winning and stuff like that, certainly not now. I'm just enjoying playing good golf, and hopefully I can keep going.”
“You're not going to get me to talk about winning and stuff like that, certainly not now. I'm just enjoying playing good golf, and hopefully I can keep going.”
Kjeldson may not be thinking of a potential victory, but
former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell certainly is. The Northern Irishman
has had a disappointing few weeks, missing his last four cuts, but he finds
himself just two shots off the lead at 4-under as he prepares his game for
Muirfield: "I'm playing this golf course the way it's supposed to be
played - fairways and greens. Once you start hitting it off line it will punish
you.
"I just have not got the putter revved up but I am well in touch and right where I need to be. It's been a rough couple of months for me. I've not been playing the kind of golf I'd like to and the key to this week was to come and get myself in the mix for the weekend and get some of the juices flowing again.
"I'm excited for the weekend and to make a cut really. It feels like a step in the right direction.
"I certainly know what to do when I put myself in these positions. I just have not had the opportunity to do it lately. I'm probably on one of my worst missed cut runs in a while. It's nice to break that, first and foremost, and be on the leaderboard."
"I just have not got the putter revved up but I am well in touch and right where I need to be. It's been a rough couple of months for me. I've not been playing the kind of golf I'd like to and the key to this week was to come and get myself in the mix for the weekend and get some of the juices flowing again.
"I'm excited for the weekend and to make a cut really. It feels like a step in the right direction.
"I certainly know what to do when I put myself in these positions. I just have not had the opportunity to do it lately. I'm probably on one of my worst missed cut runs in a while. It's nice to break that, first and foremost, and be on the leaderboard."
McDowell is on the leaderboard, but dozens of players remain
in contention. With the cut falling at three-over, the remaining field are
separated by just nine shots. On a course of this nature, anything can happen
over 36-holes.
In the sunshine of Paris, it’s going to be a weekend to
savour.
No comments:
Post a Comment