CHRIS WOOD, the 20-year-old from Bristol who shot to fame finishing fifth in The Open last month, has now begun his professional career in sparkling fashion as well.
Wood, whose first shot in the paid ranks went in the water, added a three under par 67 to his opening 70 at the SAS Masters in Stockholm today to be only two behind early leaders Paul Broadhurst and Soren Kjeldsen.
The former England international
ist, whose inspired performance at Royal Birkdale was the best by an amateur in a major since Justin Rose came fourth on the same course ten years ago, twice shared top spot during the round.
"This is exactly what I had in mind, trying to challenge the lead," said Wood.
"I am as good if not better than a lot of them, I think.
"My coach and I have always known I have the ability to do it. I just needed the opportunity and I got it at The Open and took it.
"I just played my normal golf there and it gives me a huge amount of confidence.
"I didn't come here to make the cut, I've got to do well to make my card and avoid the qualifying school," said the 6ft 5in golfer.
As a new convert to the paid ranks Wood is allowed seven invitations on the European Tour this season.
A victory on Sunday would be worth more than £200,000 and would give him a Tour exemption until the end of 2010.
Wood was the first player to tee off this morning at 7.30am and after a birdie on the 428-yard 11th, his second, he added three more in a row from the 13th.
He turned in 32, but his only deviation from par on the front nine was a bogey at the 481-yard seventh, where his hooked drive meant he had to play his second with one foot in water.
Nick Dougherty, Peter Hanson and Pedro Linhart shared the overnight lead on four under, but while Dougherty and Hanson were among the later starters Linhart fell away.
Broadhurst, a member of Europe's Ryder Cup team back in 1991, took over at the top by turning in 33 and then picking up another birdie at the long 17th to finish with a 68.
Kjeldsen, trying to get back into the hunt for next month's Ryder Cup team, was four under for the day with one to play.
The full article contains 418 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
