Albatross saves Nicholson from more tour heartache - 05/03/2007

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NEW Zealander Todd Nicholson produced one of the strangest rounds of the season to make the cut for the first time.

Nicholson, who won the final stage of Qualifying School in April, has struggled with the quality on the PGA EuroPro Tour and failed to reach the final day in each of the 11 events he has played in.

But that run ended after a level-par second round of 70 after a score of 71 on Wednesday.

His round on the second day was action-packed as he quickly dropped five shots to be on six-over after 26 holes as he looked likely to miss out once again.

However, Nicholson (pictured above) then hit an albatross on the 470-yard par-five first and an eagle on the 602-yard par-five sixth, which helped him end on one-over and scrape a place in Friday's play by one shot.

Graeme Clark has already won three events this season, and collected more than £35,000 in the process. He is on course to claim another £10,000 as he is currently two shots ahead after rounds of 64 and 67 left him on nine-under.

Elsewhere, Russell Claydon (Gog Magog, Cambridgeshire) and Eddie Vernon (Burton-on-Trent), both moved from five-under at the start of the day to seven-under for the tournament, along with Daniel Brooks (Mill Hill).

Overnight leader Michael McDermott (Stackstown, Ireland) is now in tied eighth after a disappointing second round of two-over.

Rob Harris (Blankney Golf Club) was in tied fifth at the start of the day but a poor score of five-over on Thursday, despite a birdie on the last hole he played, saw him slide down the table.

There were mixed fortunes for previous 2007 event winners. Daniel Wardrop (Didsbury GC) was on three-under after two rounds, with Lloyd Kennedy (Chelmsford GC), Matthew Woods (Donnington Grove) and Neil Walker all on par, but Guy Woodman (Stoke Park) failed to make the cut as he ended on two-over.

Date updated: August 31, 2007