PAUL McGINLEY failed to solve the devilish problem of Angel's Leap but still led a spirited Irish challenge for the Cannes Open at Royal Mougins yesterday. The Dubliner overcame a double bogey at the notorious short second feature hole with five birdies and a 68 for a two under par total of 140 that elevated him to a share of seventh place, only five behind new leader Stuart Cage.
The most extraordinary story of the day was certainly the revival by Swede Joakim Haeggman. He had 83 on Thursday after starting 6-5-8 and taking 43 to the turn. Yesterday he had 63 for a four over par 146 that enabled him to make the cut with ease.
Des Smyth bad 69 to join the select group under par, while Philip Walton had three birdies in the last four holes to ensure he would be in the thick of the action this weekend. David Higgins (68) and Ronan Rafferty (70) joined them among the qualifiers for the first 100 per cent Irish success in beating the cut this season.
McGinley's memories are likely to centre on the second hole. It measures 201 yards, but the one in four descent from the tee to a green guarded by water requires only an eight iron for the average professional. However, the ball is in the air for so long that in the sort of swirling wind that plagued the first two rounds there are no guarantees that a straight shot will hold its line. Anything to the right will find sand anything left will plummet into the pond.
McGinley, who had begun with a birdie, followed the latter route and had to pay the penalty for finding the water by marking a five on his card. But he recovered the two stroke loss with birdie fours at the fourth and fifth, and was out in 33 when he converted a 15 foot birdie chance at the ninth. An accurate five iron shot to within 10 feet of the flag at the 13th took him around in three under par.
Smyth collected six birdies, recovering from sixes at the third and 11th for a one under par total of 141. He had a trio of birdie threes in his outward 33, and an other at the 12th before closing with a birdie double when he high holed from 12 feet at the 17th and chipped to within two feet of the hole at the 18th.
Walton was in danger of wasting his excellent first round 70, when he experienced a mid round slump, dropping five shots in the seven holes from the eighth to the 14th. But the Malahide professional's nine iron came to his rescue, as he pitched to a yard at the long 15th, then to 15 feet at the next for birdies.
Walton's piece de resistance came at the par five 18th when from a hanging lie close to the lake he struck a second driver shot to the green to secure his birdie four. He starts the third stage on a one over par 143, but Walton's confidence is beginning to come back.
Higgins improved by eight shots on his first round performance, limiting himself to just one error, at the 11th, and also finishing in style with birdies at the 17th and 18th to land on a two over par 144. Rafferty ended on the shine mark despite an untidy three putt for a six at the 18th where he missed from only 12 inches.
After his extraordinary fightback, the ebullient Haeggman, his country's first Ryder Cup player in 1993, could not resist taking a sideswipe at those who find a specious excuse for a premature departure after a poor opening round.
"My score is a message to all those who do it," he declared. "It happens far too often on the Tour and it is not only discourteous to the sponsor, it is also an insult to your fellow professionals. You never know what might happen in this game, and I could even win now.
