Spain’s José Rivero started his first full season on the European Seniors Tour in exactly the same manner as he closed out last year – by entering the final day right in the hunt for his maiden title. The former Ryder Cup player produced the joint best round of the tournament so far - a bogey-free 66, six under par - to lead by one with 18 holes remaining of the DGM Barbados Open at Royal Westmoreland Golf Club.
Jamaica’s Delroy Cambridge, who would certainly be a popular winner in this part of the world, is a shot back in second place after carding a four under par 68 to move onto seven under par 137.
Behind the top two, ominously placed, is the form horse at Royal Westmoreland, Gavan Levenson. The South African won this event in 2004 and he once again showed a liking for the spectacular Robert Trent Jones Jnr layout with a second successive 69.
Nevertheless it was Rivero who earned most of the plaudits with a near faultless round.
The four-time European Tour winner made his presence felt immediately on joining the Seniors Tour following his 50th birthday last September - finishing third-second-second-sixth in the final four events of 2005 – and he showed that the winter break had done little to blunt his cutting edge as he reeled off six birdies in nine holes on his way to a 66 and a two-round aggregate of eight under par 136.
“I rested over the winter and felt mentally fresh when I arrived here this week – and it seemed to show in my golf today,” commented Rivero. “I made only one mistake all day, when my pitch bounced over the back of the 15th, but I made a really difficult chip back to set up a par.”
Cambridge, who had produced a string of seven birdies in eight holes on Wednesday, was less spectacular but more consistent in his second round.
Starting at the tenth, the powerful Jamaican picked up shots at the 14th, 15th and then again at the treacherous 18th, the hole that had denied him a share of the lead on day one.
When the wind is blowing hard, as it so often does at this exposed course overlooking the Caribbean Sea, the last at Royal Westmoreland can be the ruin of many a scorecard, so Cambridge would have breathed a huge sigh of relief when his recovery chip dropped for a surprising birdie, only the fifth at the hole in two days.
However, his joy was tempered almost immediately when he overhit a sand wedge approach into the first and made bogey, before “dropping another shot out of almost nowhere” at the second.
He steadied the ship with a par at the next and went on to birdie the fourth, sixth and eighth for a round of 68 and sole charge of second place.
“I have not been close to winning for three years so I wanted to come out here to Barbados and make an impact. A good start here can make your year,” reflected Cambridge afterwards.
Levenson, meanwhile, declared himself “fantastically happy” after a second 69 left him just two shots off the lead in third place.
“This course is not easy and the greens can be treacherous. When you are down-grain and down-wind, judging the speed can be so difficult. Therefore, putting is the key to scoring well here.”
The South African had produced an exceptional display on the greens during his first round, using his putter just 24 times. On Thursday, he required six more putts but compensated with more accuracy tee to green. “I am swinging the club really well now and, crucially, I have only had one three-putt so far.”
A stroke behind Levenson, in fourth place on five under par, are the leading British contenders, the English duo of Bob Cameron and David J Russell, and Canadian Bruce Heuchan
Eduardo Romero of Argentina, the joint first round leader, is within striking distance on four under par alongside Hugh Baiocchi of South Africa, who matched Rivero's 66, Scotland’s John Chillas and England’s Nick Job.
Thursday saw the completion of the 54-hole amateur competition and the winner was Crawford Gray with a combined betterball total of 182, 34 under par. In second place with 184 was Rob Reid, of tournament promoters DGM, followed by Sue Magnier on 187.
