Buoyant Waring well placed in Wales

Buoyant Waring well placed in Wales
May 30 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post
BROMBOROUGH’S Paul Waring bagged seven birdies and droppedjust two strokes on his way to a 5 under par 66 in the Wales Openat Celtic Manor yesterday to be just three strokes off the lead.
Waring, called in as a late replacement for Birmingham’s SamWalker, only found out that he was playing at 1pm in the afternoonafter the morning start had been delayed for almost two hours withhill fog blanketing the course.
The 23-year-old in his first season as a pro, took full advantageof his call-up when Walker pulled out with a neck injury to playhis way into the top ten over the new Twenty Ten Ryder Cup course.
“I swung it nicely, I think I only missed one fairway allday,” said Waring, who was however slightly disappointedafter three putting the last green.
A three wood just short of the green on the par five second set uphis first birdie and although he dropped a stroke at the fifth whenhe missed the green right and didn’t get up and down, hebirdied the eighth with a seven iron approach to two and a halffeet.
Waring then hit a purple patch with four birdies in a row from thetenth.
“I hit a five iron to 12 feet on 10 and holed it, then on thelong 11th I hit two good shots to just short of the green and gotup and down. I chipped in on 12 and then holed a nice 25 footerfrom just off the green on 13, so technically I went no putt noputt.
“I didn’t get the wind right with the second shot to14, plugged in the trap and couldn’t get up and down, so Iwas quite happy to take my medicine and get on to the nexttee.”
He picked up his seventh and final birdie when he hit his 8 iron to18 inches on the 16th and after parring the short 17th, threeputted the final hole for his par.
“I made some really good golf swings and that’s as goodas I’ve played since I turned professional,” saidWaring. “I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.”
He’s off at 8.55am.
Nick Dougherty was also pleased with his four under par round of67, despite missing makeable putts at the last two holes.
“Thankfully it’s 18 holes not two,” he said.“I played well today, I am very pleased with that result andlooking forward to tomorrow.”
He picked up his first birdie at the opening hole when he hit hisseven iron approach to seven feet and made it, then he birdied thelong second.
“I hit driver, then laid up with a three iron, didn’thit my sand iron very close, but made the putt from about 20feet.”
His third birdie came at the parr three 7th where he hit his fiveiron to 10 feet and made it, he then parred his way to the long11th, where he moved to four under the card.
“I hit a good drive, then a three wood to just short of thegreen, pitched to five feet and sank it. And at the next I hitthree wood of the tee and nine iron to about 15 feet and made that.
“My putting was pretty steady all the way round, it was justa bit disappointing to miss those last two,” said Dougherty,who is in the third group out from the 11th tee at 7.55am.
Warrington’s Phil Archer finished on one under parr 70 withfive birdies and four bogeys. He got to two under the card withbirdies at the second and fifth, but then dropped shots at 7, 8 and9 to be out in 37.
A birdie at the long 11th got him back to level parr and he birdiedthe 15th and 18th but dropped a shot at the short 17th.