The English pair of Mark Roe and Matt Blackey were among the players who advanced up the leaderboard of the Sao Paulo Brazil Open when half the field returned to the course to conclude their opening rounds today.
After lightening brought a halt to play on Thursday, 24 matches returned to the course at 7.45am to complete their first rounds but none could overhaul Sweden’s Par Nyman at the top of the leaderboard, who remained a stroke ahead of Frenchman Rapahel Jacquelin and Australian Brett Rumford.
Roe and Blackey however both picked up two strokes in their remaining six holes to move to four under par and just two strokes off the lead.
Roe is back on Tour after a 20 month lay-off caused by ligament damage to his hand after he grabbed the collar of his beloved springer spaniel, Mookie. The 38 year old missed the whole of the 2000 campaign but after taking encouragement from making the cut in his first two events this year, he opted to make the trip to South America.
“It’s fantastic being back out on Tour,” he said. “The hand is not 100% and I can’t hit many on the range now. Instead I’ve had to rearrange the time I spend practising. I’ve got to work more on the mental side of the game. I’ve got to readapt.
“I’ve never been a great traveller and have never been this far to play golf before. But I made the first two cuts I played this year. That was the first time out after 20 months and I was delighted. I decided to just keep playing. Took a week off after Qatar and then will play these two and then another week off. I just want to keep playing.”
After missing a birdie chance on his first hole of the day, the 13th, Roe finished strongly with two birdies over the closing two holes, pitching to four feet in the 17th and then hitting a wedge from the fairway bunker on the last to six feet to post a round of 67.
“It was nice way to finish. Turns the day around. It’s not that easy going back out and starting mid round. It took a few holes to wake up. You’ve got to stay patient out there. The greens are tricky and hard to read. Patience is the key word.”
Blackey, the course record holder after an eight under par 63 in the second round last year, also picked up two strokes with birdies at the sixth and eighth.
“The course is a little different to last year but I adapted well and got off to a good start. It’s important to get a good round under your belt. Especially in this heat. Once you start struggling it becomes very hard work. This was just what the doctor ordered.”
South African Darren Fichardt, winner of the Tour Championship on the Sourthern Africa Sunshine Tour also joined the group on four under par while Jose Aderbal leads the Brazillian challenge on the same mark.
