Trio share lead at the Swiss Challenge – Golf news
Englishman Ben Parker birdied each of the last four birdies on day one of the European Challenge Tour’s Swiss Challenge to share the lead with Welshman Stuart Manley and Frenchman Julien Guerrier, on Thursday, July 11, 2013.
The tournament is being staged at Golf Sempachersee near Lucerne, featuring some of the best players on the Challenge Tour.
Talking to the reporters after completing his round, Parker said that he really improved his short game in the past few weeks, which has now started paying him off.
According to him, flaws in his game on the greens were the main reason behind his missed cuts so far in this season.
“I’ve been playing really well recently, but I haven’t holed anything. Thankfully that changed today. I’ve missed so many cuts even though I’ve been playing well, which has been frustrating,” he said.
“My long game was great today – I think I only missed one green. I holed a few good putts early on, but missed a couple of six-footers for birdie. Then I two-putted the 17thfor birdie, and on the last I holed a 20-footer with a huge left to right swing,
so it was a great way to finish,” he added.
He started his campaign on the front nine of the course and birdies three of the first four holes that he played. Thereafter, he parred each of the next 10 holes, before recording a birdie spree over the last four holes.
He is now confident to remain consistent in the remaining three rounds and keep hold onto the top spot on the leaderboard, till the end of four rounds in regulation.
Manley, in the meantime, is also enjoying his experience of returning to the event where he finished tied second three years ago. He carded a total of eight birdies - four of which came over the last five holes – against a lone bogey to finish one stroke
better than his effort in the opening round in 2010.
He now believes that he only need to focus on his natural game and keep the putter do the talking in the remaining three rounds to finish one better this time.
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