GOLF:YESTERDAY ON the famed West Course was deemed a commemorative one to honour Seve Ballesteros, and the proposed gesture – for each player to wear navy blue – was adopted by most. If not quite to a man, it was darn close. Was it for inspiration? An act of commiseration? Or gratitude, even?
Whatever sentiment was garnered, and there were many, the act was entirely worthwhile. And there was an appropriateness somehow that Matteo Manassero, the youngest player in this latest edition of the BMW PGA Championship, should again display a brilliance reminiscent of the maestro as he assumed a share of the half-way lead alongside England’s Luke Donald and Spain’s Alvaro Quiros.
On a day when, thankfully, the strong winds and rains of the first round relented significantly, the 18-year-old Italian – with two wins on tour already despite having yet to complete secondary school – produced a second round 70 for 136, six under, to attain the dizziest heights yet of a career that has been on an continuously upward graph.
As a child growing up, Ballesteros was always Manassero’s hero. Did he get extra inspiration yesterday? “I think he gives me inspiration all the time, but especially today when we were remembering. But I think we can remember him every day. He was a special golfer. He was a genius. He stays in my heart and he has been my idol and will always inspire me. As he will do with other young guys, I’m sure,” said Manassero.
Graeme McDowell perhaps went to the greatest length to pay his respect. The Ulsterman arranged for a replica Slazenger navy sweater – the type worn by Seve in his heyday – to be specially made for him. “I was hoping a bit of Seve magic might rub off on me around the greens but unfortunately I was very unSeve-esque . . . I got a free pass from my sponsors today to wear the Slazenger logo in honour of the greatest player who has come out of Europe in decades. He is one of our greatest players ever and it was just out of respect,” said McDowell, who failed to make the cut, which fell on four over, by one stroke.
Five Irish players survived into the weekend, with Darren Clarke – a winner in the Iberdrola Open in Mallorca on his last outing – heading the challenge. Clarke shot a second round 72 for 141, one under, with Gareth Maybin (70 for 144), Michael Hoey (74 for 145), Rory McIlroy (70 for 146) and Shane Lowry (72 for 146) making the cut.
“All in all, I played nicely. Stayed very patient,” said Clarke. “It was just one of those days at Wentworth where it was tough, tricky …. I would have liked to have birdied the last instead of taking bogey, but I am really pleased with my position. I did play better than my score.”
Having left with a degree of frustration after Thursday’s first round, McIlroy was particularly gung-ho about finding a way to make it into the weekend, especially with memories of his weekend charge in Quail Hollow just over a year ago still fresh enough in his mind.
“I am only four shots from 20th and if I can get off to a fast start and do what I did here in ’09 (when shooting 65 in the third round to finish fifth), when I went from being one of the first out to being in with a really good chance of winning . . . . it’s amazing what you can do if you get out early and post a good score,” observed McIlroy, who birdied the last to ensure his place for the weekend.
With quite an amount of grumbling about the severity of the course, there were those who simply got on with the job at hand. Indeed, the presence of three players from the world’s top-40 – Donald (world number two), Quiros (25th) and Manassero (36th) – atop the midway leader board probably provided the best riposte of all.
Donald discovered fallibility as early as his opening hole and that bogey was followed by another two in a round of 72 that was eight shots worse than his first round.
“I’m still in good position,” said Donald, who wasn’t one for whinging. “You kind of learn to grind it out, to make ugly pars – which you have to do at Majors and US Opens. It’s a pretty different course to Congressional (where the US Open takes place in three weeks) but certainly you’re getting into that mindset where par is not a bad score which is probably a good thing.”
And through the challenge of the first two days, Italian teenager Manaserro took it all in his stride like a veteran. As McIlroy, who was in the same group, remarked: “Matteo really is in control of his game. He is driving the ball well and everyone knows how good his short game is. So, it is just a matter of hitting it and giving himself opportunities for birdies.”
But McIlroy, from his own past deeds in success and failure, knows that the longest part of the journey is the second half. No doubt Messrs Donald, Quiros and Manassero know it too.
