Ryder Cup stars Lee Westwood and Stephen Gallacher were pleased with their respective games despite Westwood just managing to make the Wales Open halfway cut but with Gallacher falling five shots short.
Westwood, and now just a week away from making his ninth straight European Team appearance, birdied two of his closing four holes in a round of a two under par 69 for a level par score in overcast conditions on the Twenty-Ten course at Celtic Manor.
If left the 41-year old English golfer trailing nine shots behind Ireland’s Shane Lowry who produced a six-under par 65 to move a shot clear of the field on nine under par.
Dutchman Joost Luiten (69) shares second place on eight under par with Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts who, for a second day running eagled the 18th hole, in shooting a 68.
Westwood has not competed since missing the cut on August 22nd in the Barclays Championship in New Jersey, and the opening event of the FedEx Cup Play-Off Series.
Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher unconcerned despite missing the cut in the Wales Open. (Photo – David Lloyd/www.golffile.ie)
“With the Ryder Cup next week I needed to play all four rounds here, so after not being too competitive yesterday when it was pretty scrappy, I played bit more solid today,” said Westwood.
“There’s still a few iffy shots out there but it was nice to finish with two birdies over my last four holes to ensure being here for the week and the guarantee of two more competitive rounds.
“After taking three weeks off I am not quite match fit and you do lose your sharpness, so that’s the pleasing thing about getting those two birdies.”
Gallacher was already back home in Scotland when Westwood ended his round but the 39-year old Scot was unconcerned after rounds of 78 and 70 for a six over par tally, and a week out from his Ryder Cup debut.
“I’ve missed the cut but there’s no alarm bells ringing and I am looking forward now to next week,” said Gallacher.
“I just felt that I was trying maybe a wee bit too hard yesterday and teeing-up thinking too much about next week whereas today I was a lot more focussed, and I got into my routine was happy I stuck with that.
“So nothing else got into my mind to distract me today, and shooting under par in the tough conditions today was very pleasing.
“I feel good both mentally and physically so there should be no concern come next Friday.”
Fellow Ryder Cup rookie Jamie Donaldson remains well-placed to become the first Welshman to win the Wales Open after a bogey free 67 and Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn, who is heading to his first competitive Ryder Cup in a dozen years, added a 69 to move to two under par.
Lowry, 27 also didn’t drop a shot in his third score of a 65 in his past five events as the bearded Irishman seeks to win a third European Tour title.
“To play bogey free and make six birdies on top of that make for a really nice day’s golf,” he said.
However missing the cut with scores of 82 and 76 was 2012 victorious European Ryder Cup captain, Jose Maria Olazabal who will now head north to Scotland as a Gleneagles vice-captain.
