It was a windy and cold day in Kildare, which led to slightly more challenging scoring conditions for the assembled field of the 2013 Irish Open at Carton House. Ultimately, it was a day that claimed the scalps of Ireland’s major champions; as Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy all missed the cut. But in the end, many did flourish, and Peter Uihlein and Robert Rock find themselves tied for the lead going into Saturday.
Uihlein, the 23 –year-old winner of the 2010 U.S. Amateur championship, followed up his 67 of Thursday with a 68 today. The talented American, who has taken the unorthodox route of plying his trade on the European Tour, won his maiden professional title at the Madeira Islands Open in May.
Uihlein has excelled so far in the inclement conditions in Ireland; but playing in such weather is not a novel concept to the former student at Oklahoma State University. He reflected on the challenge of playing in a wind: “I spent three and a half years in Oklahoma where we would play in a tornado. So it was a good experience there, and I feel like in the wind, you don't have to be perfect, which is what I kind of struggle with. I would try and be too perfect sometimes and in the wind, you just play golf, you hit shots and you just try and manoeuvre it a little bit. I feel like when it gets windy, you have almost a little more room, so I enjoy it.”
Uihlein, who boasts a strong support group that includes Chubby Chandler of ISM and veteran coach Butch Harmon, has embraced life on the European Tour, and has already had significant success. It was an unusual route to go down, for a leading amateur from the United States, but Uihlein reflected on the reasoning behind his early career decisions: “I look at a guy like Adam Scott, somebody I've always looked up to, and he came over to Europe and started off his career, and there's countless amount of guys, top players in the world, who have started over here. It's just different me being an American and doing it. I look at those guys' success and the success they are having now and where they are at now on the PGA Tour; I think that's the right route to go.”
Uihlein estimates he has played in at least 20 countries since turning professional; something that wouldn’t have been possible had he taken the conventional route to play on the PGA Tour. He reflected on the positive impact that playing internationally has had on his game: “I think it's made me more of an all-around player. You play in different conditions and different courses. The courses in Spain are different than the courses over here. And you play more of a global schedule; South Korea, South America or South Africa. You play all over the world on different types of courses and you become a more all-around player.”
Peter Uihlein has become an all-around player, and he will continue to improve. His progression so far has been tremendous, but another step can be taken this weekend at Carton House. However, there are still 36-holes remaining, and he will need to overcome a strong chasing pack; not least Robert Rock.
Rock, the 36-year-old Englishman, hasn’t had the most consistent season so far, coming a year after his career defining victory at the Abu Dhabi Championship. Rock shot a stunning round of 66 on Friday, with an eagle at the fourth hole being the obvious highlight. For a man who stared down the challenge of a resurgent Tiger Woods in Abu Dhabi, Rock will embrace the challenge of partnering Peter Uihlein on Saturday, with considerable less pressure than he faced at the Irish Open in 2009.
That year, he was involved in the most extraordinary story in the history of the event, as Shane Lowry, then a 22-year-old amateur, thrilled the home gallery by defeating Rock in a playoff at Baltray. (Lowry himself is just two shots back this week, alongside a group that includes the 1990 champion Jose Maria Olazabal).
It would be a satisfying achievement for Rock to finally win the Irish Open, and it would be a victory that would eradicate his frustrating form since his win in Abu Dhabi last February. He reflected on the 16 months since he held off the challenge of Tiger and Rory McIlroy: “I played well in Dubai at the start of the year but before that it seems to go back a good while. A few off-course things that distracted from practice and then that kind of spirals into your game later down the line and you realise, yeah, should have put the time in that you should have done and have to put more time in to correct that and that takes awhile for it to work. That's where I'm at now so almost a year down the line, a year wasted.”
A year wasted, perhaps, but a win this weekend would set the likeable Englishman on an upward trend once again.
With just eight shots separating the top 45 players on the leaderboard, there are many other capable suitors who also have an opportunity of lifting this prestigious title on Sunday. Tomorrow, they will jostle for position in order to give themselves in the best chance of claiming victory on Sunday. However, for Saturday at least, Peter Uihlein