Surprise guests

By Philippe Hermann, 03 February 2023

For the return of the One Green Way Pro-Am and the celebs invited, the main sponsor SPX, good leader of real estate in Portugal, did things well.

Blue sky, warm sun, combed playground, a revenge on the waterspouts 2022. The sixty pros and their amateurs in alliance were warned.

The North Course, relatively short at 6,140 meters from the rear tees, is resisting to be better rated than its neighbor, the South, darling of the specialized “World Best” rankings. It takes attention at all times not to scatter there, from the drive to the putter.

Thus, at the halfway point, Paul Broadhurst was alone in the lead, an excellent -6 before losing a point, seeing Montgomerie touch -4 at No. 9. Further on, Langer dragged a +1 when Jiménez was stuck at zero like Olazãbal at the start of the No. 8.

In alliance, Magnus Atlevi, starting from No. 9 with Frédéric Sebag, was at -8 after 12 holes, one point ahead of Karlsson/Affonso. Winner of a Senior France Open, Atlevi? In fact, having adopted his wife’s name, he was better known as Magnus Persson on the old European Tour when Sweden entered this circuit.

On the women’s side, Lorena Ochoa did not play the lead, at +4 at No. 14. Pettersen was in a better light, at -3 at No. 8, better than Sörenstam at -1.

As for the French, nothing really worked, in singles where Havret played +7 two holes from the end, as in alliance where the duo defending champion Jacquelin / Forget was at the pives to finish in 37 (leaderboard ranking).

At the end of the chore, the smile returned faster for some, the welcome of One Green Way calming regrets, always eternal in golf, and the North being a little kinder at the end.

Thus, if Lorena Ochoa added a ladle for +6, Sörenstam signed the lead in the women’s lead at -4, leaving Pettersen at -2. Langer escaped with a birdie at No. 18 for 70 ahead of Olazãbal (71).

In front of the Levet/Oomer duo positioned at three shots, Atlevi finished at -13 with Sebag, but at -5 solo at a length of the lead occupied at -6 by Brown (six birdies) and Broadhurst (eight birdies) when Montgomerie weighed a lead on a double at No. 12 to finish at -3.

The French delegation still had a pain in its swing. “At this time, we are much stronger on skis. But tomorrow is another day,” said Jacquelin (76).

Havret put his 78 to the account of a course quickly penalizing the approximate appreciations, lesson learned for a successful second round that Jeff Remésy (photo), 1st tied at -6 on two birdies to finish, and Levet 3rd tied at -3, will attack more liberated than others.

Picture Caption:
Legends Tour player, Jean-François Remésy

Article link:
Invités surprise – Golf Planète (golfplanete.com)