Boyd surges clear in Spain

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October 24, 2010

England’s Gary Boyd fired a record-equalling 63 to surge into a two-shot lead at the Castello Masters at the Club de Campo.

England’s Gary Boyd fired a record-equalling 63 to surge into a two-shot lead at the Castello Masters at the Club de Campo in Valencia.

The European Tour rookie’s flawless round of eight under par included six birdies and an eagle at the par-four 14th when he drove the green and holed his putt from 25 feet.

It continues the 24-year-old’s fine run of form that saw him lose out in a play-off in the Czech Open in August and finish fourth in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last month.

Boyd is a regular room-mate of John Parry on the tour and the Harrogate golfer’s recent success has been a spur for the Challenge Tour graduate.

“John’s been doing fantastic over the past few weeks and we’ve been kind of feeding off each other and trying to push up the ordor of merit,” he told Sky Sports.

“Three or four of my friends out here have won so I’m feeling a bit left out at the moment. I’m trying to push forward and get the win.

“Tomorrow’s a different day and I’ll be trying to be in contention the back nine tomorrow, hopefully still leading.

“The momentum can go quickly out here and I managed to hole a tough putt (for par) on the 10th and then I hit an awful shot on 12 and managed to get up and down from nowhere really.”

Moving day

Parry was the first player to set the target on ‘moving day’ with a 63 that eventually left him five off the pace on nine under par.

Like his friend Boyd, Parry was bogey-free and the winner of the Vivendi Cup will no doubt be reflecting on a costly triple-bogey at the 14th on Friday.

Last year’s runner-up Christian Nilsson is one of Boyd’s nearest pursuers alongside teenage Italian Manuel Manassero on 12 under par, with another two-shot gap back to a group of four players.

Overnight leader Peter Hedblom made no headway after a level par 71, failing to recover from a poor start that saw him drop three shots in the first four holes.

He remains on nine-under alongside playing partner and defending champion Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who put on a petulant show that wasn’t helped by a double bogey at the short 16th.

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