José Manuel Lara was clutching at straws when he accepted a Shamrock lapel badge on Wednesday as a lucky charm following five missed cuts, four of them by one shot. It seemed like a futile gesture when he was then five over par after nine holes of the first round – but after a dramatic turnaround in fortunes the Spaniard goes into the fourth round of the Smurfit European Open in the final group with Retief Goosen.
Goosen, the reigning US Open Champion, saw his halfway lead of three strokes trimmed to one over 27 year old Lara after a level par round of 72 at The K Club for a three round total of 207. Meanwhile the man from Valencia fired a four under par 68 for 208, with former winner, Lee Westwood, lurking close to the lead on 209 after a 71.
Lara’a topsy-turvy season had seen him finish in the top ten three times early in the year, but the five consecutive missed cuts had been a source of frustration. This week his world has been equally turbulent in both a positive and negative sense.
After reaching the turn in 41 on Thursday, Lara reeled off five successive birdies to regain his equilibrium and, after a round of 73, he picked up more positive vibrations when he claimed the second competitive hole in one of his career during a second round of 68.
After a bogey at the third, he covered the remaining holes in six under par to climb to within a stroke of Goosen, who was unable to emulate the majesty of his second round 66.
Reflecting on his fortunes to date, Lara smiled: “When the guy in the Cleveland truck handed me the Shamrock on Wednesday he said it would bring my luck and I attached it to my cap. When you’ve missed four cuts in a row by one shot, you try things like that.
“The five birdies between ten and 14 on Thursday are why I am in this position now. Those and the hole in one. I took confidence from the good things that were happening and I have played really well the last two days and putted nicely.”
Goosen, playing his first event since winning the US Open Championship at Shinnecock Hills last month, had to wait until the tenth hole to register his first birdie and then picked up just one more at the 15th.
“I struggled a little bit today and was stuck between clubs on a lot of occasions and hit a lot of poor shots. It wasn’t a great day. Obviously I am going to try and play a bit better and give myself more chances tomorrow. The first two rounds I played very well but I played some rubbish today.”
The South African has a propensity for winning from the front and he noted: “I have won all my tournaments from the front – the US Open being the first one I didn’t win leading from the front for all four days so I don’t mind being out in front, grinding away and seeing if I can pull it off.”
Westwood’s round of 71 was only marginally less erratic than Lara’s effort on Thursday. After nearly holing his tee shot at the eighth to join Goosen at the top of the leaderboard, the Englishman then almost drove into the River Liffey bordering the ninth fairway.
Back to the tee he went and a three wood, four iron and two putts later he walked off with a double bogey six. However the damage was repaired immediately as Westwood rifled a three wood onto the par five tenth and nonchalantly rolled in a 60 feet eagle putt. An interesting method of playing two holes in level par!
Westwood, who came with a late run to capture the Smurfit European Open over the neighbouring North Course in 2000, admitted: “It was a bit frustrating out there. I felt I played better than 71. I either holed from three feet or 60 feet. At least there is no damage now. If you have a day when you don’t hole any putts and don’t do any damage then you have to take consolation from that.”
England’s Paul Broadhurst, one of three first round leaders on 67 who dropped back with a 74, made a good recovery to shoot 69 in the third round to share fourth place with Australian, Peter O’Malley, who signed for a 68 and six under par total of 210.
Sweden’s Niclas Fasth shot a 73 in the third round but his efforts on Thursday and Friday served him well. By covering the par fives in six under par on the first two days, he won a pair of earrings, valued at €3000, supplied by Appleby Jewellers, Dublin.
