GLENEAGLES, Scotland, Aug 24 (Reuters) – English pair Mark
Foster and Richard Finch shrugged off disappointing seasons to
share the lead after the Johnnie Walker Championship second
round on Friday.
Foster carded a 68 while his close friend Finch went one
better with a 67 as both finished on eight-under 136.
One stroke off the pace was Scotland’s Paul Lawrie (69), who
is certain of his place in next month’s European Ryder Cup team,
and Australian Brett Rumford (70).
Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, bidding to beat absent German
Martin Kaymer to the one remaining automatic slot in the Ryder
Cup side, was three strokes behind Finch and Foster after
shooting a 70.
If Colsaerts fails to finish in the top two here on Sunday,
Kaymer will be in the team that plays United States in Illinois
from Sept. 28-30.
The Belgian, who won the World Match Play title in Spain in
May, said he was feeling tired after travelling back from North
Carolina on Monday following the weather-interrupted Wyndham
Championship.
There was a similarity in the tales of Foster and Finch.
Dismayed after missing the cut in last month’s Scottish
Open, Foster decided to take a four-week break from golf because
he “needed to regroup”.
Finch arrived at Gleneagles having missed the cut 13 times
this year including his five previous tournaments.
TURN AROUND
The 35-year-old said he was slightly bemused at the way his
form had returned.
“I didn’t have the best of starts by making a bogey at the
first hole after driving into a bunker,” he told reporters.
“But after recent tournaments where I have hit good shots
and failed to make birdies and failed to save par, everything
seemed to turn around.”
Finch, who is 68th on the money-list, holed several long
putts including one from 50 feet on the 12th.
Foster, 37, is hoping for a ‘Super Saturday’ of his own in
the third round, three weeks after being in the London Olympic
stadium for Britain’s greatest night of athletics as Jessica
Ennis, Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford all won gold.
“I got some tickets for Super Saturday off a French website
and it was probably the best thing I’ve ever seen,” said Foster
who occupies 73rd spot on the money-list.
“I took a four-week holiday and practised really hard for
one week. I just spent some time at home and sorted the house
out too.”
Foster has one tour win to his name – the 2003 Dunhill
Championship in South Africa.
Finch has won twice before, both times in 2008 at the New
Zealand Open and Irish Open.
(Editing by Tony Jimenez)
