SCOTLAND'S Sam Torrance had no excuses last night after being disqualified from the Oki Pro Am in Madrid for oversleeping. Torrance, favourite for the tournament, was due to tee off at 9.20 a.m. with Manuel Ballesteros, brother of the Ryder Cup captain, but failed to appear.
The 43 year old was woken at 7.30 a.m. by a courtesy car driver who arrived to take him to the course but went back to sleep. The consequences were inevitable after Ballesteros struck his tee shot down the La Moraleja Number One course and waited the prescribed five minutes in vain.
Torrance, who had flown to Madrid from the Far East after appearing in a 12 man invitation event in Korea last week, said he had no excuses.
"I was not jet lagged. I just overslept. I have done it before because I am a heavy sleeper." Torrance has been an ever present in the Ryder Cup side since 1981, and is currently in ninth place in the qualifying table for the 1997 match.
Ireland's David Higgins arrived for the Madrid tournament expecting it to be his last in his debut season on the European Tour. However, after a first round 69 in the £450,000 Japanese promotion, the Waterville professional has given himself a chance to snatch a late place in the showcase Volvo Masters on the Ryder Cup course at Valderrama in two weeks' time.
He starts the second round four shots behind pacemaker Pedro Linhart, of Spain, and will need to win either the first prize (£75,000) or take second (£50,000) to do so.
Higgins has made his mark by securing his card for 1997 at the first attempt. His chance of a maiden victory in Madrid has now been enhanced by the Torrance disqualification.
Higgins began enterprisingly at the Number Two course that staged the World Cup in 1992, by holing from 20ft for a birdie on the first green.
He went over the green at the long sixth to lose the benefit but the first of a trio of birdie fours at the eighth, where he pitched to four feet, got him out in 35.
He went boldly for his shots on the inward half. He was home with a four iron for two putts at the long 11th, and a three wood got him to the heart of the long 16th for another two putt birdie.
On the previous green, he again holed from 20ft. His only blemish was to under club at the short 13th where he found sand with his eight iron and failed to get up and down from the hazard.
Cork's John McHenry had a one under par 71. Milltown's Francis Howley also put in a strong finish, snatching birdies at the 16th and short 17th for a 73.
However Des Smyth had another disappointing performance in what has been a dismal season. He took 75 on the Number One course and admitted "it was not a pretty sight".
