Mark Roe’s spectacular finish to the second round propelled him into a share of the lead with Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts at the halfway stage of the EnterCard Scandinavian Masters with Swede Fredrik Jacobson and Scot Marc Warren leading the chase two shots back.
The extrovert Roe never does much by halves but this time it was thirds as he shattered his seven iron into three pieces on his way to claiming the final hole birdie that took him alongside Colsaerts on ten under par 134 after a round of seven under par 65, only a stroke off the Barsebäck course record.
The 43 year old Roe, with a history of mishaps, could have done himself serious injury on the last hole when playing from a foot behind a tree, but instead watched his ball arc out of the trees, cutting 30 feet in flight to land six feet from the hole to set up his seventh birdie on a pristine card.
"If I'd played the shot I wanted, I could have broken an arm or a wrist," Roe said, "so I decided on the route that would definitely snap the club.
"But you don't often see clubs broken in three places and a piece could still have snapped off and hit me. Luck favours the brave!"
The Englishman is struggling in 144th place on The European Tour Order of Merir but he is unworried at the thought of losing his card. If he does not keep it he will retire and look for a different job in golf. If he does make it, he will only play "around a dozen" tournaments next season. He wants to spend more time with his family in the summer, particularly his twin five year old daughters.
“I always intended to play golf until I was 40ish and never intended to play this long,” admitted Roe. “And with my children arriving, I just miss my kids incredibly when I am away. My daughter Emily said to me the other week, ‘Daddy, could you not play all your tournaments at Effingham and then you could come every night and be with us.’
“When your kids start saying that it is time to take another look at it and this is not the most important think in my life. I have had a fantastic time playing golf and will always want to be around the game in some shape or form but not 25 weeks a year, not anymore.”
Roe suggested he might run a trick-shot show and he certainly has the credentials. In 1987 he practised for a tournament with exploding golf-balls, wearing a paper-bag on his head.
He won the Open de France in 1994 despite having a seriously swollen hand stung by a wasp and in 1995 the man who came into golf after perforating an eardrum in a diving spill, was seriously injured when struck on the head by the ball of an amateur during a pro-am.
He was sidelined for 18 months from the middle of 1999 after tearing finger ligaments whilst trying to grab the collar of his beloved cocker spaniel, Mookie.
Roe's most costly mishap, though, came in The 2003 Open Championship, when he forgot to exchange cards with Jesper Parnevik before the third round at Royal St George's and, instead of contending strongly for the lead, was disqualified.
Colsaerts continued his bid for a maiden title with a second 67. The 23 year old made a flying start with two birdies in the first three holes. He bounced back from successive bogeys with another brace of birdies and picked up another three stokes coming home for a halfway total of ten under par.
“The two bogeys came as we were a bit out of position and while I didn’t feel I rushed any shots, I wasted two shots. We were on the clock and on the 14th I was standing over a putt and a fly landed on my finger. I thought just go for it and three putted. Bogeyed the next and then came back with two birdies on the 16th and 17th. I am pretty happy with the way I handled two bogeys in a row by bouncing back. Everything was steady.”
Swede Fredrik Jacobson bogeyed the last two holes to drop off the top of the leaderboard and shares third place after a 67. Jacobson raced to the turn in 30 strokes after picking up six birdies in his first eight holes and he went seven under of the day with another birdie on the tenth. But two bogeys to finish cost him a share of the lead.
“It was a fantastic day and I played great,” said Jacobson. “I hit the first 14 greens and with a bit more luck I could have had a few more birdies. But I missed the last four greens and is was disappointing to finish with two bogeys.
“A lot of Swedes have done well this year so I have come here with no pressure on me and I am just enjoying myself and intend to carry on with this attitude for the weekend.”
Jacobson was joined late in the day by last year’s Challenge Tour Number One, Warren, who birdied the last following an 80 minute delay as a storm passed through.
“It was a good finish considering I missed the green on the eighth, my 17th , just before the delay. It was tough up and down but I managed to save par and then a good up and down at the last for birdie as well.”
Warren will play with Jacobson for the third round and is anticipating a lot of support for the Swede.
“I always enjoy playing in front of crowds and this will probably be the biggest I have played in front of apart from Walker Cup as an amateur. I am looking forward to being in contention over the weekend.”
