Broadhurst birdie run wins share of lead

Steve Saunders,Portugal
Saturday 02 April 2005 00:00 BST
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Paul Broadhurst, of England, and Portugal's Jose Filipe Lima led the way at eight under par during the second round of the Portuguese Open yesterday.

Broadhurst, a former Ryder Cup player who had his last European Tour victory in the 1995 French Open, hit five birdies in his second-round score of 66. Lima racked up seven birdies in 16 holes, but a bogey on the 18th hole meant he scored a 65.

Broadhurst was pleased that he had completely changed his fortunes in two days, and put some of his transformation down to good advice from his mental coach.

"Everything was going to the right in practice and I just couldn't see how I could get round the course, so I came in early before the first round to work on that. But my sports psychologist earned his money yesterday. He suggested I was getting too uptight and that was causing me my problems."

In calm, sunny conditions, England's Simon Dyson earlier in the day set a course record of 64 - with seven birdies and an eagle - but a bogey on the last kept him alongside his countryman Barry Lane on seven under. Three players - Argentina's Cesar Monasterio and the English pair Ian Garbutt and Stuart Little - were on six under.

Dyson's best European Tour result came in Asia, where he topped the money list in 2000. Last year, he was leading the Asian Open for the first three rounds but wilted under an assault by the formidable Miguel Angel Jimenez to let in the Spaniard and have to settle for second-best.

Dyson is convinced he will pull off a win soon, and that this week could be his time.

"I know what's needed and I know I can do it and if I carry on playing like today I've got a decent chance," he said. "It was disappointing to drop a shot at the end because I was in the middle of the fairway. I tried to hit a cut and it turned into a draw, but otherwise I played great and hit every fairway."

* In Duluth, Georgia, the BellSouth Classic suffered a second lost day due to heavy rain, and more than a quarter of the field for next week's Masters had their build-up further disrupted. They will now be asked to play 36 holes on Monday on one of the most demanding courses on the US Tour, only three days before the first major of the season. Augusta has so far escaped the worst of the storms and is ready to accommodate any players who want to make the two-hour trip from Atlanta.

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