Golf/Dutch Open: With the course and conditions still conspiring against the majority of the field at the KLM Open in Holland, it took two of the more experienced players in Gary Emerson and Paul Broadhurst to show how it should be done.
The tree-lined Hilversumsche Golf Club has been made more difficult this year with fairways cut tighter and rough grown higher and the results have been reflected in the scores.
It said something for the nous shown by the 41-year-old Emerson, leader on eight under, and 39-year-old Paul Broadhurst, one shot back, that no one really challenged the scores they posted early in the day.
Emerson, one under at the start, had few of the problems experienced by his fellow competitors in registering nine birdies, including eight in 11 holes mid-round, with only two bogeys.
That equalled his European Tour career-best round of 63, which he shot at the Celtic Manor Wales Open last week.
The Wimborne golfer dropped back to level par after a bogey at the fourth but that was the start of an amazing run as three birdies took him to the turn in 33.
He picked up further shots at 10, 12 and 13 all with putts from inside 12 feet before a 35-footer from the fringe of the 14th green took him clear at the top and he was four feet from winning a €46,000 BMW car at the 157-yard 15th when he hit his tee shot stone dead for an eighth birdie of the day.
He gave one shot back at the next though when his curving 18-foot par putt stopped short but returned to eight under after two-putting from the front of 18th green for birdie and a back nine of 30.
Emerson, who won his maiden title on a not dissimilar course at the BMW Russian Open in Moscow last year and finished joint ninth here in 2003, admitted he felt the design of the course suited him.
"I think it takes an older head to do well round here because the rough is penal," he said.
Broadhurst's patience was definitely tested after he lost a ball on the 11th hole, had to play three off the tee and ended up with a double-bogey six.
The former Ryder Cup player, one of the five joint-leaders overnight, had gone to the turn in 35 after a birdie three at the seventh restored him to four under after dropping a shot at the first and he picked up another shot at the 10th.
"The good shots were really good and I hit a lot of fairways - which is good for me. I'm pleased so far."
Philip Walton, the 1995 Ryder Cup winner, pulled out with an injured wrist after 10 holes of his second round but was seven over and destined to miss the cut anyway.
His Irish colleagues, Damian McGrane and Peter Lawrie, made the weekend with second-round scores of 70 but Stephen Browne missed the cut after a 74 yesterday.
Only 25 players are under par after two rounds and the cut was made at four over - the highest at the Dutch Open for 15 years.
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