Moul fires 66 to lead Brabazon by four
Despite a miserable day at Ganton with strong winds and occasional
heavy showers, the cream came to the top in the first round
of the English Men’s Open Amateur Championship for the
Brabazon Trophy.
Three internationals, George Murray, Robert Dinwiddie and
Marius Thorp, shared the lead on 70 and were congratulating
themselves for taming the brutal conditions until late in
the day when England’s Jamie Moul put them in the shade.
Moul, winner of two titles recently including the Lytham
Trophy, was out in mid-afternoon and benefited from calmer
times to post a five under par 66 and open a four shot lead.
Even then, the 21 year old from Suffolk made his score before
the wind began to relent. He birdied four holes in a row from
the fourth and added two more at the ninth and tenth. That
put him six under and the only blemish on an otherwise perfect
round was a bogey at
the 11th.
“I had a few putts drop and you need that,” he
said modestly, “but I’ve got the ball under control
at the moment. I got a bit lucky with the weather and tackled
the hardest holes with the least wind. It’s a great
start and hopefully I can keep it going.”
Murray, who arrived in the north east having lost a play-off
for the Lytham Trophy and finished fourth in Ireland last
week, said of his 70: “That was a good score in these
conditions but I am a wee bit annoyed at missing from five
feet for par at the 16th and from four feet for par at 18,”
he said.
“I don’t mind playing in the wind but you mustn’t
beat yourself up too much. You have to stay patient.”
Dinwiddie was equally happy with his 70. “Like everyone
else I got into trouble but I managed nothing worse than three
bogeys together with four birdies.”
Thorp, the reigning European champion from Norway, would
have claimed second spot on his own but he also fell foul
of the tricky 16th to drop a shot.
Taverner, home from college in Louisiana, was in the third
match out at 7.20am and admitted he would have taken 71 before
teeing off. “It was pretty tough and the rain added
to the problem. Fortunately I had a caddie but you just have
to stay cool with no heroics.”
After posting his 71, Ruth also admitted playing in strong
winds hold no fears for him. “I’m used to these
conditions,” he said. “I enjoy it and would rather
have it like this than flat calm. I hit the ball fantastic
on the front nine and was two under par, but I couldn’t
get the ball into the hole. Overall I had 33 putts so I’m
going to see what is wrong.”
McGowan felt conditions were the toughest he has met this
year. “It was tough and it seemed to get windier as
we went along,” he said. “But I’m very happy.
I like playing in the wind because it makes it more challenging
and when you shoot a good score it is more rewarding.”
Defending champion Lloyd Saltman is handily placed on 73
alongside his Walker Cup team-mate Oliver Fisher and former
boy cap Danny Denison.
But it wasn’t a good day for some England internationals.
James Crampton shot 77, Paul Waring 78, Adam Gee and John
Parry 79, Matt Cryer 81, while Ed Richardson withdrew with
an injured knee.
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