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**truebluefan** · 04-19-2008, 09:25 PM

Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort, Ireland

**truebluefan** · 05-16-2008, 05:45 PM

Michael Lorenzo-Vera shot a two-under 70 on Friday to take a one-shot lead after two rounds of the Irish Open.

The 23-year-old Frenchman was at six-under-par 138 for his first career overnight lead on the European Tour.

Germany's Marcel Siem carded a one-under 71 and was alone in second place at five-under 139, with first round co-leader Richard Green (74) and Pablo Larrazabal (70) one shot further back at four-under 140.

Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke (69) led a group of six players who were at three-under 141.

Jeev Milkha Singh, who shared the overnight lead with Green, was done in Friday by a trio of early bogeys and a double-bogey on the par-four 13th. He shot a 76 and was in a large group at two-under 142.

Lorenzo-Vera, the top European Challenge Tour player last year, took the clubhouse lead in an early morning group after posting three birdies and a bogey.

He said he was getting used playing at Adare Manor, though he wouldn't commit to saying he was ready to win on the European Tour yet.

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**truebluefan** · 05-18-2008, 11:26 PM

BRADLEY Dredge maintained his challenge for the Irish Open despite a disappointing second round at Adare Manor.

The Welshman, beaten in a play-off for the title by Padraig Harrington 12 months ago, returned a one over par 73 to add to his opening 68 for a three under par aggregate of 141 at the halfway mark.

That left him three strokes adrift of the leader, Frenchman Michael Lorenzo-Vera.

Starting at the 10th, Dredge reeled off eight straight pars and then eagled the 18th – his ninth – to move to six under and the top of the leaderboard. A birdie at the first put him in even better shape before four bogeys in the final eight holes halted his progress.

Dredge will be joined for the weekend by Stuart Manley, who returned a level par 72 yesterday to stand at one under and in good shape to pick up his best cheque of the season.

The only other Welshman to make the cut was Stephen Dodd after a solid round of 71 left him at one over.

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**truebluefan** · 05-18-2008, 11:30 PM

Richard Finch added a touch of comic (though unintended) genius to his victory at the Irish Open yesterday when he lost his balance after playing his third shot to the final green, slipped down a bank and plunged up to his waist in water.

With the River Maigue running in front of the 18th green at Adare Manor, there is always the potential for embarrassment at what is regarded as one of the best finishing holes in competition golf. And although the slip did not cost the 30-year-old Englishman his second win on tour this year, it did cost him a little of his dignity. Last year, Bradley Dredge took a seven at the same hole to lose in a play-off to Padraig Harrington. But when Finch slipped up, the three-stroke lead he held at the start of the hole was enough of a cushion to have a bit of fun on the way. Without a doubt, it provided the best entertainment the Irish gallery had witnessed all week.

“I decided to hit the ball hard and never gave falling in a thought,” Finch, who bogeyed the hole, said. “But my momentum pulled me round and I fell in. As soon as I made the shot, I knew I’d made good contact but kept slipping down the bank.” In the event, Finch capped a fine week’s work with a final round of 70 for a ten-under-par total of 278 and victory by two strokes over Felipe Aguilar, of Chile, and three over four others - Lee Westwood, Gary Murphy, Robert Karlsson and Martin Lafeber.

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