Garrido leads at Johnnie Walker

Spaniard Ignacio Garrido mounted a late charge at the Johnnie Walker Championship on Friday to take a one-shot lead.
Spaniard Ignacio Garrido mounted a late charge at the Johnnie Walker Championship on Friday to take a one-shot lead.
Garrido shot a second-round 69 to add to his opening 67, after an opening bogey on the first was quickly offset by two birdies at two and three.
Another birdie followed on the seventh, before his second of the bogey day came on the 10th. Two more birdies on 11 and 17, however, left him three under for his round and eight under for the tournament.
Five players lie only one shot off Garrido’s pace after the second round at Gleneagles – Englishmen Kenneth Ferrie (69) and overnight leader Mark Foster (71), Italian Lorenzo Gagli (68), Irishman Peter Lawrie (69), and Dane Thomas Bjorn (69).
Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal and England’s James Morrison are a further shot back on six under.
More than 50 players had to complete their first rounds on Friday morning after heavy fog cut two and a half hours of play out of Thursday’s proceedings, with many second round starters teeing off at the same time.
Bjorn was clearly enjoying being back in Europe, where he finished fourth at the Open a month ago before enduring two tough weeks in America.
“The first 27 holes were really, really good and then I lost my swing a bit,” said Bjorn. “I’m glad there’s a range behind us where I can go and work on it.
“I got a lot of confidence from The Open, but then in American all of a sudden you’ve got to hit the ball up into the air again and it knocked me back.”
Bjorn is being touted by some as a future Ryder Cup captain, but he is still producing good results, and right now playing is his priority.
“I want to play golf at the moment,” said Bjorn. “I think when you get to my age you always hope there’s one more in you.
“I don’t see it as something that you can stand there and say ‘I want to do that’. It’s something that you’re asked to do and, if asked, I think any player would say yes.
“It’s not something I’ve got my sights set on because it’s out of my control.
“I’m a professional golfer – I’m a player. That’s what we are here to do and that’s what I’m doing at the moment.
“I feel good about my game and as long as I enjoy it that’s what I’ll focus on. I don’t want to sit on the sidelines in a buggy.”
Ferrie, whose best performance of the year came in Spain back in March when he came close to recording a first 59 on the European Tour, hasn’t really set the world alight since then and lies 112th on the Race to Dubai money list – close to the 115 mark cut-off point for those who want to keep their Tour cards.
“I’ve been playing pretty well all year, but not making putts,” said Ferrie. “I swapped back to a belly putter a couple of weeks ago and it takes my faults out of it.
“People looking at my results might not think my game’s been there, but it’s been decent. I just need to keep plugging away and hopefully things will keep going my way.”
Gagli, meanwhile, has put together a string of good performances, including three top-10s in recent weeks, and he’s put himself in another good position this week.
Ryder Cup captains Colin Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal, meanwhile, had contrasting fortunes. Montgomerie rallied after a poor start to his second round to shoot 73 and finish on one under, good enough to make the cut, while Olazabal was set to miss out on the weekend’s action after successive 74s.
Olazabal encountered some misfortune on the seventh, where he ran up a double-bogey seven after playing the wrong ball in the rough, not realising that two balls had emerged from the thick grass when he played his first shot.
Latest
-
News
Rory McIlroy on latest near-miss in Abu Dhabi: ‘I don’t feel like I played great’
McIlroy avoids mentioning final-round blues but admits he needs to get more consistent.
-
News
Tyrrell Hatton eyes Ryder Cup spot after winning Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
Hatton carded a closing 66 to finish 18 under par.
-
News
Tyrrell Hatton wins Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship as Rory McIlroy misses out
Australia’s Jason Scrivener recorded an eagle and five birdies in a back nine of 29 to claim second place.
-
News
Rory McIlroy leads the way in Abu Dhabi as he eyes overdue victory
McIlroy will have to keep his Ryder Cup team-mates at bay if he is to claim the trophy.
-
News
Tyrrell Hatton dominant as Rory McIlroy falters in Abu Dhabi
Hatton led by five shots at the end of a second weather-affected day.
-
News
Phil Mickelson on Tiger’s latest surgery: ‘I feel bad because golf should be a game of a lifetime’
Mickelson admitted he was saddened by the news of Woods’ latest back surgery.
-
News
Rory McIlroy makes brilliant start to fog-affected Abu Dhabi Championship
McIlroy has a remarkable record in Abu Dhabi with four second-place finishes.
-
News
Rory McIlroy shines in Abu Dhabi to take first-round lead following flawless 64
McIlroy has a remarkable record in Abu Dhabi with four second-place finishes, three thirds and a fifth in his last nine starts, but has never won.
-
News
Justin Thomas on end of Ralph Lauren deal: ‘They moved on so that’s what I’m doing as well’
Justin Thomas said he was upset by...
-
News
My last win feels a long time ago – Rory McIlroy aiming to start year on a high
McIlroy has not tasted victory since November 2019.