Maybin and Moriarty on a Czech mission
A round of 66 on the third day of the Ypsilon Golf Challenge by Alex Cejka has led Colm Moriarty to predict that this could be another glorious weekend for Irish golf.
With fellow Challenge Tour Member Gareth Maybin of Northern Ireland currently three shots behind leader Rafael Cabrera Bello of Spain, and Darren Clarke heading the Irish charge at the KLM Open on The European Tour, Moriarty did his bit for the Emerald Isle by posting eight birdies to move to 12 over par.
That is five shots off the pace set by Cabrera Bello and, with birdie opportunities in plentiful supply at Ypsilon Golf Resort in Liberec, the Czech Republic, Moriarty is confident of closing the gap.
He said: “I opened up with a 25 foot birdie putt on the first, and just carried on from there. I’m well within striking distance now, because there are definitely low scores to be had. If I can keep the bogeys off my card tomorrow, I’ll be in with a big chance.
“With Darren [Clarke] doing well out in Holland and myself and Gareth [Maybin] in contention over here, it could be another great weekend for Irish golf. We’re getting used to them now – it seems to be every other week that an Irishman wins a tournament somewhere. It’d be great if Darren could finish the job, and whilst only one of us can win here, I’d be delighted if Gareth takes second place!”
For his part, Maybin again kept the bogeys off his card for the third day in succession – but a double bogey at the tenth hole briefly checked his charge.
The man from Belfast, whose round of 67 moved him to 14 under par, said: “The double bogey was a bit of a kick in the teeth, but I bounced straight back with a birdie, which was pleasing. And another birdie on the final hole was a great way to finish the round. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow now – it should be fun. This course gives you plenty of chances, so you can shoot anything if you’re playing well. May the best man win.”
Cabrera Bello’s round of 65 moved him to 17 under par, two shots clear of his nearest challenger, Seve Benson of England. Benson’s compatriot Richard Bland is one shot further back in a tie for third with Maybin.
196 R Cabrera Bello (Esp) 67 64 65;
198 S Benson (Eng) 67 66 65;
199 R Bland (Eng) 67 65 67; G Maybin (Nir) 66 66 67;
200 A Snobeck (Fra) 68 65 67;
201 T Feyrsinger (Aut) 66 67 68; C Moriarty (Irl) 70 65 66;
202 M Higley (Eng) 65 71 66; R Santos (Por) 67 64 71;
203 R Coles (Eng) 68 67 68; D Horsey (Eng) 68 68 67; A Ahokas (Fin) 67 69 67; B Evans (Eng) 70 64 69; J Makitalo (Fin) 71 63 69;
204 M Korhonen (Fin) 66 68 70; L Bond (Wal) 66 67 71; B Grace (RSA) 68 69 67; M Cort (Eng) 65 72 67; M Quiros (Esp) 71 65 68;
205 M Bothma (RSA) 67 69 69; B Wiesberger (Aut) 73 65 67; J Morgan (Eng) 68 70 67; L Gagli (Ita) 66 66 73; R McEvoy (Eng) 71 65 69;
206 M Tullo (Chi) 69 68 69; A Rocha (Bra) 66 68 72; P Dwyer (Eng) 66 69 71; P Kaensche (Nor) 68 70 68; T Remkes (Ned) 67 69 70; M Soffietti (Ita) 67 70 69; D Carter (Eng) 70 69 67;
207 D Wardrop (Eng) 69 69 69; J Sjoholm (Swe) 68 68 71; A Gee (Eng) 67 69 71; A Marshall (Eng) 69 67 71; C Cardeza (Arg) 70 64 73; J Clément (Sui) 65 73 69; I Van Weerelt (Ned) 71 67 69; J Morrison (Eng) 67 69 71;
208 K Baraka (Ger) 70 63 75; M Crespi (Ita) 69 69 70; S Davis (Eng) 71 68 69; T Karjalainen (Fin) 67 71 70; A Willey (Eng) 69 67 72; M Ruiz (Par) 71 68 69; A Butterfield (Eng) 69 68 71; A Salto (Esp) 67 72 69; R Steiner (Aut) 67 67 74; J Wahlqvist (Swe) 67 69 72;
209 M Hoey (Nir) 70 69 70; S Alker (Nzl) 69 69 71; C Russo (Fra) 69 69 71; A Hansen (Den) 69 67 73; A Tadini (Ita) 71 67 71;
210 P Del Grosso (Arg) 70 69 71; T Cruz (Por) 73 65 72; B Lecuona (Fra) 70 69 71; R Treis (Ger) 67 71 72; B Mason (Eng) 70 67 73; M King (Eng) 65 73 72; M Merizalde (Col) 67 72 71; M Rodriguez (Arg) 68 71 71;
211 J Quesne (Fra) 70 68 73;
212 J Billot (Fra) 70 67 75; M Dieu (Fra) 69 70 73;
213 M Kempe (Ger) 70 68 75; J Little (Eng) 71 67 75;
214 G Hutcheon (Sco) 70 68 76;
999 S Barr (Aus) 67 71 RETD;
MISSED CUT:
140 A McArthur (Sco) 72 68 0; S Henderson (Sco) 73 67 0; C Gane (Eng) 67 73 0; M Pilkington (Wal) 72 68 0; R Kakko (Fin) 69 71 0; S Robinson (Eng) 70 70 0; E Rush (Eng) 69 71 0; R De Sousa (Sui) 73 67 0; C Trunzer (Ger) 70 70 0; P Gustafsson (Swe) 74 66 0; S Jamieson (Sco) 69 71 0; S Delagrange (Fra) 71 69 0; E Goya (Arg) 70 70 0; N Vanhootegem (Bel) 71 69 0;
141 F Henge (Swe) 69 72 0; B Miarka (Ger) 70 71 0; A Bossert (Sui) 70 71 0; N Zitny (Aut) 69 72 0; G Boyd (Eng) 71 70 0; G Molteni (Ita) 72 69 0; G Clark (Eng) 71 70 0; R Karlberg (Swe) 69 72 0; M McGeady (Irl) 70 71 0; C Reimbold (Ger) 71 70 0; S O'Hara (Sco) 71 70 0; W Schauman (Swe) 69 72 0; J Mellor (Eng) 68 73 0; D Belch (Eng) 70 71 0; F Calmels (Fra) 73 68 0;
142 C Del Moral (Esp) 68 74 0; S Jeppesen (Swe) 70 72 0; E Ramsay (Sco) 73 69 0; J Axgren (Swe) 70 72 0; N Kraaij (Ned) 70 72 0; G Acosta (Arg) 68 74 0; I Garbutt (Eng) 69 73 0; A Coltart (Sco) 73 69 0; D Park (Wal) 69 73 0; J Xanthopoulos (Fra) 71 71 0; M Novy (am) (Cze) 70 72 0;
143 J Horsky (Cze) 73 70 0; P Relecom (Bel) 72 71 0; J Nemecek (Cze) 70 73 0; S Browne (Irl) 73 70 0; G Rojas (Arg) 68 75 0; M Bliss (Can) 74 69 0; P Strougal (Cze) 73 70 0; D Higgins (Irl) 73 70 0; M Smith (Eng) 71 72 0;
144 D Ulrich (Sui) 72 72 0; J Parron (Esp) 70 74 0; O Lebl (Cze) 73 71 0; P Bronson (USA) 74 70 0;
145 C Brazillier (Fra) 73 72 0; A Bernadet (Fra) 76 69 0; D Prochazka (am) (Cze) 72 73 0;
146 J Stryncl (Cze) 74 72 0; O Whiteley (Eng) 74 72 0; J Heath (Eng) 71 75 0; M Haastrup (Den) 72 74 0; J Huldahl (Den) 74 72 0; J Stanislav (am) (Cze) 74 72 0;
147 S Reale (Ita) 73 74 0; S Palenik (am) (Cze) 72 75 0;
148 J Ossowski (Pol) 73 75 0; A Babicky (Cze) 72 76 0; J Hepworth (Eng) 76 72 0;
149 G Murray (Sco) 77 72 0;
150 T Milford (Eng) 78 72 0; J Maurer (Aut) 75 75 0; J Korda (am) (Cze) 73 77 0;
151 O Lieser (am) (Cze) 74 77 0;
152 P Mruzek (Cze) 78 74 0; M O'Brien (Eng) 77 75 0;
154 J Kucera (Cze) 76 78 0; M Stelmasiak (Pol) 77 77 0; P Nic (Cze) 80 74 0;
155 P Skopovy (Cze) 76 79 0;
157 G Emerson (Eng) 76 81 0;
158 T Dykes (Wal) 80 78 0;
161 T Kamas (am) (Cze) 81 80 0;
162 J Janda (Cze) 82 80 0;
167 D Stika (Cze) 86 81 0;
170 A Konrad (RSA) 92 78 0;
175 R Barusel (Cze) 93 82 0;
190 G Lockerbie (Eng) 70 RETD 0; M Gojcic (Slo) 78 W/D 0;