Rather like shaving with a disposable razor – you know, those ones that you insist on rasping across your face even though the blade has become so blunt with over-use you may as well scrape away with a fistful of your own dry stubble – the relentless succession of 72-hole strokeplay competitions can become a bit wearing. A change is always welcome.
Here at Archerfield Links, it’s good old fashioned head-to-head combat in its traditional sense that’s on the menu in the Aberdeen Asset Management Paul Lawrie Matchplay Championship. No group stages, no round-robin formats, no second chances; if you lose, yer oot. By the end of the first day, 64 had become 32. Some of the exits were quicker than others, of course. Stephen Gallacher, making his first appearance on the European Tour for two months following further complications with a niggling hand injury, endured a torrid re-introduction to the scene and started with a guddle about in the trees after a wayward tee-shot down the first in his match with Renato Paratore. The Scot barely had time to get his bearings as he lost 7&6 to the impressive Italian teenager, who was a shimmering seven-under for the 12 holes it took him to dispose of the former Ryder Cup player.
The young ‘uns had a good day and there was certainly no sense of respecting their elders. Matt Fitzpatrick, the 21-year-old Yorkshireman who has just about sealed his place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team, showed just what he can do in the man-on-man tussles when he swept to a 4&3 win over Thomas Bjorn, the 45-year-old Dane who is one of the European vice-captains. Fitzpatrick, the former British Boys and US Amateur champion, was five-under through nine holes as he thundered into a six hole lead at the turn and left Bjorn with the kind of furrowed brow that you could plant tatties in. “Everything about my game was good,” said Fitzpatrick with a quiet sense of purpose.
Paul Lawrie, Bjorn’s fellow vice-captain and the tournament host this week, did strike a blow for the old guard, however, and got his campaign off to a sturdy start with a 4&2 win over Danish youngster Lucas Bjerregaard. From the moment the 47-year-old plonked a wedge into about three-feet on the first and trundled in the birdie putt, he was in complete command. As he clambers the brae on the age front, the various aches, pains, creaks and groans of a career spent battering away at a dimpled ball continue to take a toll but Lawrie certainly had a spring in his experienced step yesterday. “The day before the event I was maybe 50 or 60 percent fit and my neck wasn’t great but I woke up and felt great,” he reported. “The body was the best it’s felt for weeks and when you feel good, then you can compete.”
It was a decent day for the Scottish contingent, with Richie Ramsay and Marc Warren, a semi-finalist last year, both progressing to the next round with wins over former Ryder Cup player David Howell and Spain’s Jorge Campillo respectively.
They were joined in the last 32 by Stirling’s Craig Lee, whose last taste of knock-out golf came over a decade ago in the Scottish PGA Matchplay Championship here at Archerfield. “It’s funny because I lost to Ross Drummond in that event and he went on to win it and his caddie then was Stephen Neilson who is now caddying for me,” said Lee after a fine 3&2 victory over the seasoned French campaigner, Raphael Jacquelin.
After a three week lay-off, Lee, who had forged a healthy three-hole lead by the turn, enjoyed being plunged back into a different type of golfing battle. “I was a bit rusty after the break and having not played matchplay for so long I forgot how intense it can be,” added Lee of this fluctuating, unpredictable and absorbing form of combat.
Chris Wood, the No 1 seed, recorded a 4&3 victory over Australia’s Brett Rumford while Alex Noren, the new Scottish Open champion, swatted aside Scott Jamieson by 5&4.
After a concerned peak at the weekend forecast of high winds, tournament officials have decided to play two rounds today and two rounds tomorrow with just an 18-hole final to get through on Sunday. The matchplay format may be a welcome departure from the norm this week but it seems one thing doesn’t change; the ruddy Scottish summer weather.
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