Local hero Marc Warren lights up The Open
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There’s no place like home and the Home of Golf. Just ask Scot Marc Warren who defied difficult and testing 2nd round conditions to put himself into contention for the Claret Jug.
Warren, 3rd at last week’s Scottish Open at Gullane, is just off the pace at -7 after shooting 68 and 69 – two shots off the lead held by England’s Danny Willett.
The 34-year-old’s 2nd round included two bogeys and five birdies, the last coming at the last which should put him in the best possible frame of mind for the weekend.
This is Warren’s third Open and he’s hoping it will be a case of third time lucky having finished tied 39th at Hoylake last year and missing the cut the year before at Muirfield.
But in all honesty he’s just delighted and thrilled to be in the hunt and featuring in the big-time again – he ended seven years without a win last August when he captured the Made In Denmark tournament on his return from a second successive top 15 finish in the PGA Championship.
He also came third in the 2014 Scottish Open and fourth in the Wales Open en-route to a career-best 26th on the European Tour, good enough for an Open exemption after going through (and winning) a Final Qualifying event last year.
But before that he didn’t have too much to get excited about but to his enormous credit he’s re-discovered his form and mojo and has proven he has got what it takes to succeed at the highest level.
He painfully recalled those distant dark days when he lost his Tour card and playing rights. “I was kind of stop-start with getting a few invites and then it kind of dried up the middle of the year and then I got a couple towards the end, which helped me massively.
“You know, it’s a totally different side of the game than trying to win a golf tournament. You’re literally playing for your job and your livelihood.
“But I’ve come through and survived and if I can still perform, especially in such a tough finish as St. Andrews – and was brave enough to commit to my targets and hit the shots I had to – I don’t see why I’m not able to repeat that this weekend.”
The whole of Scotland will be cheering him on every inch of the way round the Old Course….
