Lester in touch at Faldo Series final

Assaf Cohen of Israel salutes the crowd during the 16th Faldo Series Grand Final at Lough Erne Resort in Northern Ireland.Hermitage’s Rowan Lester is three strokes behind Assaf Cohen of Israel entering the final round of the Faldo Series Grand Final at Lough Erne Resort in Co Fermanagh.

Lester, who won the Ireland Championship at Lough Erne Resort in April, is joint leader in the Boys’ Under-16 age category after rounds of 73 and 76.

Cohen, 18, added a 71 to an opening day 75 before attending a short game clinic with six-time major winner Faldo.

“We thankfully didn’t have too much rain today but the wind made it tough,” said Cohen who trailed the leaders by three overnight. “I have rarely played in conditions like this and the Faldo course is very challenging but I’m feeling confident about tomorrow. I’m hoping for a good day and to play well.”

Joint overnight leaders Ewan Scott and Rochelle Morris are two of four players tied for second after rounds of 75. Austria’s Marlies Krenn and England’s Robert Busher make up the group of four on three over after rounds of 72.

More than 30 local school children attended a grassroots clinic with Faldo while off the course players are receiving expert advice from the PGA and from Faldo’s personal coach, Keith Wood.

The gathering at Lough Erne is the largest ever for a Faldo Series Europe Grand Final. The tournament’s 16th edition features 84 golfers from 19 countries.

Competitors aged 12 to 21 are competing for the title over 54 holes with Faldo set to arrange for the leading boy and girl overall to play in a professional tour event.

With the field divided into five age-groups – three for boys and two for girls – each age-group winner will also be invited by Faldo to compete in the 2013 Asia Grand Final at Mission Hills Golf Club in China next March.

Supported by The R&A, ISPS, the European Tour and Lough Erne Resort, the 2012 Faldo Series Europe schedule featured a record 20 tournaments in 14 countries including six in England plus others in Bahrain, Ireland, Chile, the Czech Republic, Greece, Wales, Austria, Brazil, Germany, The Netherlands, Scotland, Slovakia and Russia.

Established in 1996, 38 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 28 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year.  Past winners include Major champions Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng.

Leading scores after round two:

Boys’ Under-21:

146 – Assaf Cohen (Isr) 75-71;

147 – Robert Busher (Eng) 75-72;

151 – Yannick Bludau (Ger) 73-78. 

Boys’ Under-18:

147 – Ewan Scott (Sco) 72-75;

148 – Hurly Long (Ger) 73-75;

150 – Louis Tomlinson (Eng) 75-75. 

Boys’ Under-16:

149 – Rowan Lester (Irl) 73-76,

Arrun Singh-Brar (Eng) 78-71;

150 – Jack Singh-Brar (Eng) 72-78. 

Girls’ Under-21:

147 – Marlies Krenn (Aut) 75-72, Rochelle Morris (Eng) 72-75;

151 – Natalia Heckova (Sk) 77-74. 

Girls’ Under-16:

151 – Sophie Keech (Eng) 77-74;

156 – Roos Haarman (Ned) 81-75, Hollie Muse (Eng) 74-82.

For live updates during the 16th Faldo Series Grand Final, also supported by Golf Ireland, TaylorMade and Fermanagh Lakelands, visit www.nickfaldo.com. 

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