BY BRENDAN JAMES AT RACV ROYAL PINES RESORT, GOLD COAST
For as long as he can remember, golf has played a major part in Wade Ormsby’s life. His dad, Peter, has been a PGA professional for nearly 40 years and it was obvious from an early age that the golfing gene was passed from father to son.
Wade, now 34, learned the game from his dad and by his mid-teens he was one of South Australia’s best young golfers and teeing up in junior events alongside Aaron Baddeley and Adam Scott. Scott and Ormsby even became close friends, so much so when Wade gained his European Tour card for the first time in 2004, Scott rented him his London house at “mates rates”.
Wade Ormsby salutes the crowd after putting out for his five under 67. PHOTO: Getty Images
Tomorrow, the pair will reunite in the final group heading out for the third round of the Australian PGA Championship at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast, with Ormsby the leader and Scott the pursuer.
It is a match up the South Australian doesn’t shy away from.
“You dream of growing up, playing with the big players,” Ormsby said. “But you just try and do your thing. I’m sure there’ll be a few jokes out there but you just keep trying to do what I’m doing, speak to your caddy and try and get the job done.
“I feel like my game’s definitely stepped up a notch, so I’m looking forward to whoever I’ve got to play with tomorrow.”
Ormsby, who is a couple of months older than Scott, said the World No.3 has always been “a sounding board” and has helped with advice during his career.
“Even though we don’t play as many events together now, he’s always kind of there on the end of the phone or a text message to add some support or to give you some sound advice because he’s been there at the top. So that’s good,” Ormsby said.
“Adam is someone you can get a bit closer to. You can’t get close to the other guys. You just kind of stand there and you just watch and you can learn a lot.”
Ormsby, who held the 54-hole lead at the rich Turkish Airlines Open last month before fading to finish fourth, added to his opening round 68 with a disciplined and sometimes spectacular five under 67 – including five birdies and a chip-in eagle. He shares the 36-hole lead with West Australian Scott Strange, who will be the third member in the last group.
Scott Strange fires his approach into the 9th hole during his second round 66. PHOTO: Getty Images.
Strange was exceptional in carding a six under 66 to join Ormsby at the top of the leaderboard late on day two. His bogey-free second round was helped by a white putter that was only required 25 times during the round. A lone bogey to end his first round is the only blemish to Strange’s scorecard in this tournament thus far.
Strange played his first full year in Japan this year and five missed cuts from his past seven starts there suggest he’s happy to be finding some form on home soil.
Looming two shots back is Scott, who pieced together a near-perfect ball-striking display for his three under 69, that contained four birdies and a lone bogey, resulting from a three-putt at the long par-4 13th hole.
But it was his outstanding game from tee to green, almost bordering on perfection, which suggests there are lower numbers waiting for him over the weekend. Scott hit 15 of the 18 greens in regulation and found the fairway from the tee 14 out of 14 times during the second round.
“It was really solid golf from tee to green today,” Scott said. It’s just a bit frustrating not to take advantage of a few more of the holes, especially maybe a couple of the par-5s.
“It is still tricky out there; just because it’s a bit softer and the greens are slow, doesn’t make it that much easier. Trying to get a feel for the speed of the greens after the rain overnight was tricky today.”
It has taken nine rounds back in Australia to find the ball-striking form that saw him win the Joe Kirkwood Trophy last year.
“It’s certainly the best I’ve driven the golf ball but it’s a course that allows you to get the driver out, especially in these softer conditions,” Scott said. “The last couple of weeks hasn’t really been – and it’s funny, for me, when I get to hit the driver, my swing falls in a nice spot a lot of the time and certainly brings the confidence up with everything.”
Adam Scott’s ball-striking was first class in the second round. PHOTO: Getty Images
The defending champion is well poised to make his run at the title over the weekend and end his 2014 with a victory.
“The energy levels are getting low and you can see the end of the line but I’m pushing through,” he said.
“I’m doing all my usual routines. I’m not cutting any corners. I really want to finish this off with a win and hang onto a trophy this year and go into next year feeling a little bit chuffed with myself.”
For his mate Wade, whose only win in 13 years as a professional was in the Panasonic Open in India last year, a PGA Championship win would be extra special.
“It would mean a lot. My father’s a PGA Member; he’s been a part of the PGA for 40 odd years, so the PGA’s a big part of our family. It would mean a lot to us. It would mean a lot to me as a family.
“From a professional point of view, to get a win on home soil would be massive. I think I’ve had a pretty good year and a win would be a nice way to top it off.
“One of the kinds of things I had in the back of my head, I wanted to play a Major this year, I did not and I wanted to have a win and make the race to Dubai. I’ve done one of the three so hopefully I can change that on Sunday night.”
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