JUST proving it does sometimes happen, South Australian professional golfer Garry Merrick has attributed a putting tip he saw on a television golf show to the seven birdies that have put him in the outright lead ahead of the final round of the John Deere Queensland Senior Open at Nudgee Golf Club.
Merrick fired a three under par 68 but unfortunately said he won’t be sharing the tip anytime soon. His final tally was kept in check by four bogies.
“I played well, but had too many silly bogies, luckily the seven birdies saved my score.” he said after his round.
Merrick said he saw the tip on a golf show and “it just felt right when I gave it a go four months ago, and I have putted well since.”
“This is one tip I won’t be sharing with my fellow professional competitors.”
It is obviously not the golf tip the rest of us are following.
Merrick’s 36 hole total of five under par gives him a two shot lead over local Queensland teaching professional John Tolhurst and tournament favourite Rodger Davis from NSW.
Both players shared identical opening rounds of 71 and 69 to be two under par.
Davis said later: “I am hitting a lot of greens, but unfortunately I am just not hitting them close enough to the pin”.
In the over 50 amateur ranks, John Small (Killara, NSW) continued with the good form which won him the Nudgee Masters earlier in the week.
Small’s second round score of 71, was enough to give him a one shot lead over the nearest amateurs. His two round total of one over par has him in a tie for fifth place for the overall championship.
Royal Queensland’s Michael Maher has taken the 36 hole lead in the over 55 group, which covers those eligible for Australian Senior Amateur Ranking points (formerly the Australian Senior Order of Merit).
Maher matched his opening 73 with another 73 and takes a one shot lead over round one leader Tony Gover (ACT) who has returned rounds of 72 and 75.
