Friday 19 September 2014 10:23, UK
The Ryder Cup continued to dominate the agenda at the ISPS Handa Wales Open, even though none of the four European team members competing at Celtic Manor featured high on the leaderboard.
Jamie Donaldson's one-under-par 70 left him five shots off the lead held by Holland's Joost Luiten, with Thomas Bjorn level par, Lee Westwood two over and Stephen Gallacher failing to make a single birdie in a disappointing 78.
Luiten, who was considered for a wild card by European captain Paul McGinley, held a one-shot lead over Scotland's Andrew McArthur and former Ryder Cup player Nicolas Colsaerts, who hit a drive of almost 450 yards on the 18th.
Colsaerts carded eight birdies and an eagle in a fourball win with Westwood at Medinah in 2012 and admitted to pangs of jealousy after seeing the four players and their caddies having dinner with McGinley here on Wednesday evening.
"I saw them having dinner and thought 'I wish I was in that room'," said the 31-year-old Belgian. "It's their adventure and I am not part of it, but once you play in one Ryder Cup, you don't want to miss another one."
Colsaerts was one over par after seven holes of his round but then made an eagle on the 18th after his massive drive left him with just a wedge into the green on the 575-yard par five.
"I thought it was too far right but it's all downhill and downwind and it must have luged down the fairway," Colsaerts added. "If all the stars align you can hit it a long way."
Gallacher has not played since coming close to securing an automatic qualifying place in the Italian Open and admitted his performance had not come as a complete surprise.
"I did half expect it," said the 39-year-old, who lives just 35 miles from Gleneagles and described preparations there as "manic" on Wednesday. "Generally if I've got something to play for I'll play pretty well. When I go through the motions I'm useless.
All eyes are on next week and it's hard to put it out of my mind when I'm already in. Once you're in it, I just want it happen, you know? Next week it'll be different, you're in a heightened mood and I'll be better.
"All eyes are on next week and it's hard to put it out of my mind when I'm already in. Once you're in it, I just want it happen, you know? Next week it'll be different, you're in a heightened mood and I'll be better.
"One swallow doesn't make a summer, (so I'm) not really bothered to be honest. I'll just go out tomorrow and try and make a few birdies, see what happens. I'll give it my best shot, I shot 63 around here once (in 2010)."
Playing partner Bjorn, who birdied two of his last four holes, gave Gallacher a vote of confidence, adding: "I wouldn't be worried by what he did today. He's had a couple of weeks off and, being Scottish and everything, he's so much looking forward to it.
"He was fractionally rusty today and a couple of shots here and there cost him. That's the way it is, he'll get back on his feet. There is enough good stuff in there for him not to worry."
Westwood has also been out of action since failing to advance beyond the first FedEx Cup play-off event and said: "I was basically just rusty. I hit a lot of good putts today that missed, grazed the hole a lot and a few times I hit what I thought were good drives and the fairways were a bit pinched in and they didn't turn out good.
"This week's all about just getting competitive again really. Obviously I would have liked to have shot better than two over par but there were signs of good golf in there.
"Play well tomorrow hopefully and get another couple of rounds over the week. I do play better after I've played a bit. That's why I try and play the week before a major championship. I like to be competitive. It's serving its purpose this week."
