Two emerging talents from England and South Africa, Mansfield’s Oliver Wilson and Johannesburg’s Anton Haig, showed the rest of a world class field a clean pair of heels in the Johnnie Walker Classic at Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket, Thailand.
Wilson, at 26 the elder by half a dozen years, endured an anxious finishing hole to grasp the halfway lead with a six under par 66 for a ten under par total of 134. Haig - perhaps not a name the sponsors would find to their liking! – lurks one shot behind after equalling the course record of 64 set by Greg Norman in winning the same event in 1994.
A Walker Cup winner during his amateur career, Wilson came close to his European Tour breakthrough in November 2005 when he lost to Paul Casey in a play-off for the Volvo China Open.
Back in Asia once again, this time in the sweltering heat and humidity of Thailand, Wilson has his sights trained on that maiden Tour victory as Casey, his tormentor 15 months ago, missed the cut by two shots at Blue Canyon.
However the latest young Englishman to make an impact on the golfing scene had to scramble his way into that narrow lead after cutting his final drive perilously close to the lake bordering the 18th fairway.
Wilson was fortunate to find the ball above the waterline but was hampered by a twig and only managed to move his second shot into thick rough. From there, he reached the fringe of the green and ultimately needed a six footer for a welcome bogey five.
“That was the first hole all week where I lost my composure a little bit” he explained. “I tried to force the drive and made a mess of it all the way to the green. I managed to hole the six footer for bogey, which was a nice way to finish.”
On the positive side, Wilson pulverised the par fives, with eagles at both the 11th and 15th on his way to attaining pole position ahead of Haig, past champion Retief Goosen of South Africa and Australian James Nitties on eight under par.
Refreshed by a beach holiday in the Bahamas, where he idled away the hours reading books by the renowned sports psychologist Bob Rotella, Wilson returned to action ready to do himself justice.
“I’ve been improving each year” he added. “Last season I got off to a good start and it sort of fizzled away. I worked on quite a few things from a mental standpoint and everything is coming together now. I’m looking forward to this year. I know I am good enough to play out here but I need to work on my consistency.”
Haig, who doesn’t turn 21 until May this year, stands 6ft 4in and, with nice symmetry, shot those same two numbers in the second round. His 64 contained a driver to 30 feet for a sweet eagle two at the 13th and a trio of birdie fours underlined the tall South African’s immense power and technique.
His score was matched later in the day by another South African, Richard Sterne, who packed his bags and prepared for a hasty departure after shooting an opening 75. However Sterne will be around for the weekend after his 64 left him on five under par for the tournament.
An Affiliate Member of The European Tour, Haig struck form at the right time, as his parents flew into Thailand from Johannesburg to watch their youngest son harvest seven birdies and that eagle from the tricky Blue Canyon course.
Several of the first round leaders went backwards on another sticky, hot day, but Haig ploughed on happily. He said: “I just kept my composure and never gave up. I’ve been working really hard and it’s about time it showed on the golf course.”
Haig, a recruit to Andrew Chandler’s ISM stable, was indebted to his management company for setting up a practice round on Tuesday with Major Champions Ernie Els and Retief Goosen and he said: “It was great. As a youngster I grew up watching Ernie and Retief, awesome players with great golf swings, and their composure on the golf course was awesome to watch. It’s just a privilege to be playing in a tournament with them.”
Asked if he asked those two legends for tips, Haig considered their respective positions in the field, grinned and said to gales of laughter: “I imagine he might come up to me this week and ask me a few things!”
Haig’s tongue was firmly in his cheek when he made his comment, and his modesty shone through later when asked if he was the “next big thing” to come out of South Africa. He added: “I don’t like saying that and making a fool of myself.I am just going to work hard and let my clubs do the talking.”
Nitties, a 24 year old from Melbourne, moved into a share of third place on eight under par with a round of 67 to aid his recovery from a debilitating illness in 2005. Nitties suffered from an illness called Reactive Juvenile Arthritis in 2005, which left him hospitalised for six weeks and in bed for another eight.
It was a huge setback to his career, but the Victorian hopes the worst days are behind him. He said: “It wasn’t fun to be a fit 22 year old and find yourself in hospital for so long. However there are a lot of people worse off than me and I have to make the best of it and remain positive.
“If I keep my immune system healthy I should have no ill effects. I am still on light medication but my specialist said he is 80 per cent certain it won’t return. Now it is good to be back on the course and playing well again.”
Colin Montgomerie, one of the pre-tournament favourites, is in contention on five under par while two-time winner Ernie Els made sure of a weekend’s work on one under par with former Masters Champion Mike Weir just surviving right on the cut mark of 144 after tagging a 78 onto his opening 66.
