NEWS
Sandelin and Parry share Vivendi Cup lead, Harrington falls 11 shots back
By Graham Otway
Published on
Jarmo Sandelin of Sweden and John Parry of England shared a three-shot lead after Fridayâs second round of the European Tourâs Vivendi Cup.
Sandelin (66) and Parry (67) were at 13-under 131.
Three shots behind were Englandâs James Morrison (68), Australian Richard Green (66), South African George Coetzee (66), and Franceâs Julien Guerrier (69).
European Ryder Cup player Padraig Harrington, the highest-ranked player in the field, just made the cut at 2 under, which left him 11 shots behind the leaders at the Golf de Joyenval on the western outskirts of Paris.
Harrington had a triple bogey and a double bogey in a 2-over 74, and complained about his form on the greens after three-putting five times in two rounds.
âIt needs tidying up,â he said.
Sandelin hopes the newest tournament on the European Tour will provide a turning point in a career that has long been in decline. Since making his lone Ryder Cup appearance at Brookline in 1999, Sandelin, now 43, has not won for eight years and has lost his European Tour card three times.
He feels, however, that a recent change of diet could hold the key to a comeback.
âI have changed my nutrition completely,â he said. âI donât try to have any intake of sugar now because if you have too much of it, it keeps you going up and down and you feel tired. I used to intake lots of sweet soft drinks and eat lots of candies. But not any more.
âNow I am not getting tired out on the golf course and I hope that is the key to me becoming more consistent.â
Itâs not unusual for Sandelin to change his diet -- in the 1990s he consumed volcanic dust.
âI have been on tour 15 years and I have tried a lot of different things,â he said. âAnd if I can find a recipe where I play like this more often, then I will be very happy.â
Parry also led last weekâs Austrian Open after two rounds but buckled under pressure in the closing two rounds and finished 20th.
âItâs hard to say what I learned from that experience,â Parry said after a finishing his round with four straight birdies. âBut I will probably handle it a little bit better this time.â