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Q School Blog: Day two, Spain

Friday, 7 November 2008
Ross Biddiscombe
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Leader Guy Woodman

Don’t you just love it when your dreams come true? Well, mine are half-way true so far at Second Stage of Q School because Guy Woodman, one of the most deserving of young golfers on any Tour, is in the lead at Montenmedio.

I suppose Guy isn’t actually young anymore by golfing standards – he’s turned 30 and has been a pro for 10 years – but he has battled against so many odds that he deserves to succeed. Guy was one of the stars of Golf On The Edge: Triumphs & Tragedies Of Q School, the book that I wrote this year, but his Q School progress in the book did not take him past Second Stage. He’s only come into form since I stopped interviewing him regularly!

In fact, Guy who plays out of Stoke Park and is training as a PGA golf pro at East Berkshire, has never been to Final Stage of Q School at all. After two days at Montenmedio he is on 9 under and leading; a couple of birdies on the final two holes confirmed his great form.

Last year when I was talking to him for the book, Guy had a few highs, but too many lows and finished the season disappointed. However, his training at the PGA is having a hugely positive effect on his self-esteem because Guy is now believing in himself. The top 20 at Montenmedio go through to Final Stage next week and even two very average rounds will put Guy there for the first time. I’m so nervous for him that I can’t even congratulate him too much in case I put a hex on his good form.

Meanwhile, veteran Spaniard Santiago Luna over in Arcos Gardens – one of the other three Second Stage venues – is also trying to stay calm as he leads by two shots; Jordi Garcia Pinto also of Spain is top of the pile so far at Costa Ballena and France’s Julien Guerrier leads at Sherry Golf.

Other good performers on day two were by another Hertfordshire pro David Griffiths who shot a 67 at Arcos Gardens to move back into contention after a shocking opening round 74 and Chris Gill from Devon with a 65 at the same course.

The bad is a long and painful list, but spare a thought for Ben Friedell who has travelled over from the USA to be 14 over and dead last at Sherry.

Finally, there was fog in a couple of the venues including where I am at Montenmedio where the weather caused a 90-minute delay. It seems that even near the Mediterranean coast, you cannot escape weather that postpones the golf! The day turned into a scorcher, so here’s to more of that in the next two days.