Golf Scottish PGA ChampionshipChris Gane's name was hardly at the forefront of many golfing minds when he stood on the 18th tee at Gleneagles yesterday.
It is now, and for all the wrong reasons because 17strokes later, the 29-year-old Londoner had completed the hole and gone down in the annals of European Tour history, though not as the record holder for futility.
That mark is held by the Frenchman Philippe Porquier, who took 20 on a hole during the 1976 French Open at La Baule.
But Gane, who has missed four cuts in five events this year, has taken over second place in the Hall of Shame from Ian Woosnam, who required 16 on a single hole in the 1986 French Open.
Gane's 17 included nine hacks at the ball in the tall, thick rough beside the 18th green on the Centenary Course's 533-yard closing hole and after three of those he took a penalty drop for an unplayable lie.
Perhaps he should have taken another. Five attempts later he was still in the rough before he escaped, bowed but unbloodied. It took another chip and three putts before his ball disappeared below ground.
"Ever seen the film Zorro? It was like that with all my slashing at it. I was absolutely embarrassed by the experience," he said.
On another day of blustery winds, at least the two-under-par score of 70 was broken after no one managed to do so on Thursday.
Meanwhile Soren Kjeldsen made a bid to open Denmark's account on this year's European Tour by taking the lead.
Kjeldsen is one of only four players to beat 70 this week, his four-under-par 68 earning him a one-shot second-round lead over Britain's former Ryder Cup player Paul Broadhurst, who also carded 68.
Dutchman Rolf Muntz and Australian Brad Kennedy are two strokes behind.
Philip Walton showed some of his old from when adding a second 74 in the difficult conditions of strong winds and rain to lead the Irish challenge on four-over par 148.
Also through to the last two days are Gary Murphy and Graeme McDowell. Murphy slipped back after his opening 73 to add a 76 for 149 while McDowell added a 77 to his opening 74 for 151.
The cut - the highest on the European Tour this year - came at seven over par 152 leaving Damien McGrane. Ronan Rafferty, Paul McGinley and Peter Lawrie outside the mark.
McGraine missed out by one shot after a 79, Rafferty added a 76 for 154 while McGinley and Lawrie were well off the pace from a long way out. McGinley took 80 for 156 while Lawrie shot 78 for 160.
There was good news for Colin Montgomerie, who shot 73 to leave himself comfortably placed five strokes off the lead. And while Ian Poulter improved seven shots from his first-round 83 to a 76, it was not nearly good enough to avoid missing the cut.
Briny Baird shot a two-under-par 69 to maintain his lead at the $5 million Buick Classic at Harrison, New York, yesterday.
Baird finished his second round at 10-under 132 for the tournament, leading South African Retief Goosen (66) by a stroke.
Skip Kendall (66) was at eight under, with world number one Tiger Woods (69), Japan's Shigeki Maruyama (69) and J.L. Lewis (68) in the clubhouse at six under.
Baird shot a career-low 63 in Thursday's opening round to build a three-stroke lead, but struggled in the second round at the par-71 Westchester Country Club.
(Irish in bold, Brit unless stated, par 72):
140 - S Kjeldsen (Den) 72 68
141 - P Broadhurst 73 68
142 - R Muntz (Ned) 72 70, B Kennedy (Aus) 70 72
143 - G Orr 75 68, S Dodd 72 71, A Forsyth 70 73, I Giner (Spa) 71 72
144 - M Martin (Spa) 74 70, N Cheetham 73 71, S Lyle 73 71
145 - J Bickerton 74 71, M Warren 70 75, S Torrance 74 71, C Montgomerie 72 73, I Pyman 71 74
146 - A Raitt 75 71, R Jacquelin (Fra) 74 72, G Rojas (Arg) 71 75, N Vanhootegem (Bel) 73 73
147 - G Havret (Fra) 72 75, M Tunnicliff 78 69, P Casey 76 71, A Scott (Aus) 72 75, D Howell 77 70, S Gallacher 76 71
148 - Philip Walton 74 74, S Wakefield 73 75, S Webster 77 71, S Webster 76 72, F Delamontagne (Fra) 72 76, P Lawrie 77 71, L Westwood 74 74, M Maritz (Rsa) 74 74, P Eales 74 74
149 - B Lane 74 75, R Green (Aus) 74 75, A Mednick (Swe) 74 75, M Mouland 75 74, Gary Murphy 73 76, N Colsaerts (Bel) 76 73, G Clark
79 70, P Baker 75 74, A Salto (Spa) 77 72
150 - C Cevaer (Fra) 75 75, P O'Malley (Aus) 76 74, D Gilford 76 74, D Park, D Orr 76 74, M McNulty (Zim) 75 75, Z Scotland 72 78, P Golding 75 75, S Luna (Spa) 75 75, J Lucquin (Fra) 73 77, J Hugo (Rsa) 75 75, F Mann 74 76, P Fowler (Aus) 77 73
151 - T Moore (Rsa) 76 75, M James 76 75, M Hastrup (Den) 76 75, Graeme McDowell 74 77, H Otto (Rsa) 74 77, T Norret (Den) 78 73, J Remesy (Fra) 74 77, M Blackey 74 77, R Wessels (Rsa) 74 77, R Drummond 78 73, S Delagrange (Fra) 73 78
152 - P Fulke (Swe) 78 74, D Fichardt (Rsa) 77 75, J Arruti (Spa) 76 76, B Mason 76 76, R Claydon 73 79, J Clement (Swi) 78 74, A Marshall 79 73, J Van Hauwe (Fra) 79 73, I Garbutt 76 76, S Kammann (USA) 75 77, F Andersson (Swe) 78 74, M Roe 77 75, P Archer 74 78
Missed the cut:
153 - R Coles 76 77, R Russell 76 77, J Moseley (Aus) 78 75, M Florioli (Ita) 79 74, DJ Russell 78 75, G Turner (Nzl) 78 75, T Dier (Ger) 75 78, S Scahill (Nzl) 79 74, D Drysdale 80 73, F Widmark (Swe) 76 77, Damien McGrane 74 79
154 - R Rock 80 74, B Barham 81 73, D Lynn 75 79, K Eriksson (Swe) 74 80, J Guepy (Fra) 76 78, Ronan Rafferty 78 76, M Siem (Ger) 76 78, S Cage 79 75, B Rumford (Aus) 78 76
155 - A Larrazabal (Spa) 83 72, M Archer 79 76, D Dixon 80 75, M Brier (Aut) 78 77, P Dwyer 76 79, J Lomas 77 78
156 - J Spence 76 80, Paul McGinley 76 80, A Tadini (Ita) 78 78, R Bland 84 72, L Parsons (Aus) 79 77, A Oldcorn 79 77, F Orest (Swe) 75 81
157 - P Price 79 78, C Ronald 79 78, S Dyson 77 80, E Canonica (Ita) 78 79, M Eliasson (Swe) 78 79, M Sanders 80 77
158 - J Lara (Spa) 80 78, F Roca (Spa) 76 82, (x) J Doherty 80 78, M Cort 81 77, M Urquhart 79 79, C Everett 78 80
159 - I Polulter 83 76, S Hurd 74 85, G Law 79 80, T Johnstone (Zim) 81 78, C Rodiles (Spa) 82 77, I Garrido (Spa) 79 80, N Dougherty 75 84, S Henderson 77 82, N Lawrence (Rsa) 80 79, E Little 80 79
160 - S Bowditch (Aus) 81 79, E Stedman 77 83, Peter Lawrie 82 78
161 - S Wilson 85 76, S Gardiner (Aus) 78 83
163 - S Struver (Ger) 76 87, A Reid 83 80, M King 78 85
164 - D Lucas 83 81
165 - C Gane 76 89, M Pilkington 77 88, B Hume 79 86
170 - A Buckle 84 86
Disqualified: M Farry (Fra), A Coltart. Retired: G Brand Jnr. Withdrew: R Chapman, K Ferrie, C Gillies.
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