At the half-way point of the Estoril Open, England’s Paul Broadhurst and Portugal’s own Jose-Filipe Lima share the lead. Both players are at -8 and one shot ahead of Barry Lane and Simon Dyson, both of England. Dyson set a new course record shooting a second round 64.
On Thursday, the players met heavy winds as Markus Brier of Austria shot 65 to take a two-shot lead over Titch Moor, Stephen Schahill and Mads Vibe-Hastrup. Brier executed some brilliant shots in his opening round, hitting his long and mid irons close. Brier hit a six iron to five feet on the sixth to begin a string of three consecutive birdies.
I live in Erie, PA. After yet another long, cold winter, spring has finally arrived! Sure, I kept busy putting on my 
TPC at Sugarloaf couldn’t take what nature dealt it Thursday as tournament officials cancelled play because rain fell for nine straight hours during the morning and early afternoon. Phil Mickelson said “What a surprise. We’ve had such great weather all year.” The “good weather” Mickelson spoke of could very well delay the tournament further as the forecast is calling for more thunderstorms on Friday. About the only good news is that Saturday’s forecast is clear.
CEO and veteran PGA Tour caddy Russ Holden describes Caddy For A Cure as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for golf enthusiasts to be “inside the ropes” with their favorite Tour player, one-on-one.” What a great idea! You can spend an entire day with a famous Tour pro, help with their club and shot selections, and walk a famous course during an official event! Imagine assisting worthwhile causes while watching the best golfers on tour, up close… and everybody benefits!
The 2005 Masters invitations have been sent out, and we know who should be checking their mailboxes. Players qualify for the Masters in one or more of seventeen unique ways. Though technically an “invitation-only” tournament, The Masters has published the criteria it uses for determining who should get an “invitation” for the past 20 or more years.
With the first major of 2005 looming, the players coming to the BellSouth Classic are hoping not only to win the golf tournament but also to get one last boost of confidence before The Masters! The top three ranked golfers in the world are not in the field this week, but that does not mean there aren’t any guys in the field that can’t get the job done. Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen, ranked fourth and fifth in the world respectively, have both won this tournament in the past five years. Mickelson won here in 2000 and Goosen won here in 2002. They’ll be teeing it up come Thursday.
After recent trips to Asia, Africa, and Australia, the European Tour returns to its home turf for the Estoril Open de Portugal Caixa Geral de Depositos (aka “Estoril Open”). The Estoril Open is first event of the 2005 International schedule and is one of the Tour’s longest running National Opens, dating back to 1953.