Monday, July 6, 2009

Olazabal in Open qualifying fight

Jose Maria Olazabal
Olazabal's last Open was at Royal Liverpool in 2006

Jose Maria Olazabal has it all to do in the second and final round of Open qualifying after a 70 left him three off the lead at Glasgow Gailes.

Elliot Saltman shot a 67, while at Kilmarnock Barassie his brother Lloyd is second after a first-round 66, one stroke behind Austria's Markus Brier.

Scottish amateur James Byrne leads the third local final-qualifying tournament after a 68 at Western Gailes.

The Open takes place at Turnberry and starts next Thursday.

Because he was competing in the French Open on Sunday, Olazabal hired a private jet to get him to the qualifier and was unable to squeeze in a practice round.

The 43-year-old Spaniard said: "I walked 14 holes and it didn't really count against me. I need something special to make it now, but the way I am playing it's not looking very promising."

Olazabal's situation, however, is far more promising than that facing 1999 Open runner-up Jean Van de Velde.

After a late-night flight from Paris, Van de Velde bogeyed the first four holes at Glasgow Gailes and finished with a five-over 76.

The Saltman brothers, meanwhile, are bidding to become the first brothers in the same Open since Seve and Manuel Ballesteros 25 years ago - when Seve won.

Four years ago at St Andrews Lloyd took the silver medal as leading amateur by finishing 15th and two years ago he was a team-mate of Northern Ireland star Rory McIlroy at the Walker Cup.

A total of 288 players are competing for the 12 remaining places. Four spots are available at each of the three local final-qualifying courses.

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