Dunbar gone with the wind in Madrid
Alan Dunbar will get another chance to make his first cut as a pro in Italy next week. Alan Dunbar confessed that he lost his swing as stiff winds and tough pins led to him missing the cut by two shots on his professional debut in the Challenge de Madrid.
Having put himself right in the mix by firing eight birdies in an opening 68 at El Encín Golf Hotel east of the Spanish capital, the Rathmore man could only manage a six over 78 in round two.
Reflecting on the 10-shot swing, Dunbar tweeted: “68, 78, not ideal today, plenty of good, just lost the swing today in the wind. #nextweek”
The 22-year old Portrush native, who will get another chance to impress in next week’s Challenge Tour event in Italy, got off to a rough start when he bogeyed his first three holes.
A birdie at the 13th, his fourth, only stopped the bleeding briefly as he then dropped shots at the 15th, 17th and 18th to lurch to the turn in 41.
Needing to play his homeward nine in sub-par figures to have any chance of making the cut, Dunbar birdied the par-five first but bogeyed the second and never got anything going after that, closing out his day with a bogey at the ninth.
As overnight leader François Calmels shot a 69 to lead by two shots on 12 under, it was a tough day at the office for the other two Irish golfer in Spain.
Co Down resident Simon Thornton, sixth after an opening 67, got to seven under after two opening birdies but played the remainder in four over for a 74 that relegated him to 19th and nine shots off the pace on three under.
Lurgan’s Gareth Shaw also shot a two over 74, carding two bogeys and a birdie on each nine, but made the cut on the level par mark.
Calmels, who shot a course record 63 in his first round on Wednesday, saw his three-shot overnight lead cut to two over England’s Philip Archer, who shot a second consecutive 67.
“It was more difficult than yesterday with a strong wind and the pin positions were not easy,” said Calmels. “Some holes had changed a lot, for example yesterday I played driver and a wedge on the ninth and today needed driver and a three wood.
“My game was very good like yesterday but it was a little bit tougher today, it was impossible to shoot lower than on Wednesday!”
132 F Calmels (Fra) 63 69,
134 P Archer (Eng) 67 67,
135 J Dantorp (Swe) 66 69,
136 S Hutsby (Eng) 66 70, A Velasco (Esp) 71 65,
137 C Aguilar (Esp) 67 70, S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) 69 68,
138 T Nørret (Den) 67 71, R Davies (Wal) 66 72,
139 E Dubois (Fra) 69 70, C Brazillier (Fra) 69 70, C Garcia Simarro (Esp) 67 72, J Barnes (Eng) 67 72, T Pulkkanen (Fin) 72 67,
140 D Dixon (Eng) 70 70, S Walker (Eng) 71 69, D Im (USA) 68 72, M Zions (Aus) 68 72,
141 D Suazo (Esp) 66 75, B An (Kor) 70 71, M Korhonen (Fin) 69 72, D Frittelli (RSA) 68 73, T Pilkadaris (Aus) 69 72, B Hebert (Fra) 71 70, R Kakko (Fin) 67 74, S Thornton (Irl) 67 74, M Brier (Aut) 70 71, R McGowan (Eng) 71 70, A Bernadet (Fra) 70 71,
Other Irish
144 G Shaw (Nir) 70 74
Cut
A Dunbar (Nir) 68 78.