Big John Bland is determined to make his bank manager very happy and clinch his first Senior British Open title but he'd better watch out ­ the Bear is lurking.

Three times a runner up in his last three appearances, the South African will have to become a master strategist if he is to tame Royal County Down and clinch that £79,000 winner's cheque.

A two under par 69 yesterday leaves him just one stroke clear of American David Oakley and two-time champion Bob Charles.

But Bland knows the hardest part is yet to come. He said: "This course will punish you if you aren't careful. I lost concentration a couple of times and it cost me three shots. My bank manger says three seconds are better than a first. I'd love to win. But this is a course where you have to go out and look after yourself and don't worry about anyone else. It can change so quickly. Two or three shots can chance within a hole. With two rounds to go anybody who is within five or six shots can win. You know what it's like on a links course, someone can shoot 65 in the morning and then the wind changes and a 71 is a good score."

Ominously for Bland, the greatest golfing brain of all-time is within striking distance. Yesterday, Jack Nicklaus shrugged off three dropped shots around the turn to card one over par 72 which leaves him just five shots off the pace with a level par aggregate of 142.

Nicklaus knows that he is still in with a great chance of taking the British Senior Open at the first attempt after a roller coaster round that included four birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey at the tough ninth. He said: "My round in general was a bit sloppy. I played some good shots but also too many bad ones. But five shots is not very much. If you play well you can make it up pretty easily. If you don't play well you won't make it up.

"It's a very defensive course. You can't be very aggressive here and it is strategised very well. It is 115 years old or so and so the strategy, the sides of the fairways and bounces are so critical to where you place your tee shot. I just like the course. I like the shots. I like what you have to do and what you are required to do."

Nicklaus started with birdies at the opening two holes but gave the shots straight back by three putting the fourth and fifth holes.

Three pars followed before he ran up a double bogey at the tough ninth. "That really killed me," he admitted. "I hit a good shot just through the green, tired to hit my third up in the air but hit the ground and it went over the green." While Gary Player faded with a 73, Charles had six birdies to card a second 69 on the trot and move into contention for his third title.

Said the Kiwi: "I had my ups and downs. It was a mixed bag. Driving in the water hazard on the 17th was disappointing. There are a few too many blind shots but that's what links golf is all about.

"I'm just hoping my putting holds together. It's so erratic. I made three nice putts today on 9, 10 and 18 but had some three puts from relatively short distances. When you are three putting it is hard to maintain a high level of confidence."

On another poor day for the Irish, Denis O'Sullivan provided some joy with a triple birdie finish in a 72 that also included an incredible quintuple bogey NINE at the 454 yard third and make the cut on six over.

Five over par starting the day, O'Sullivan got the perfect start with a birdie at the first before disaster struck. He explained: "I hit a really nice tee shot that finished through the fairway on the right in a deep divot. I had 187 yards to the pin but duffed a six iron into the face of a trap. In retrospect I suppose I should have played out sideways but I eventually took three to get out."

Simmering with anger, O'Sullivan blasted his sixth shot through the green from where he three-putted miserably for a nine to go nine over. Another three-putts at the fifth meant another bogey and O'Sullivan admitted that he was in a whirlwind at that stage.

Although he birdied the sixth a third three putt at the eight saw him reach the turn in 40, five over par and 10 over for the championship. But he was a different player on the back nine, firing birdies at the 12th and 14th to get back to just eight over. Despite failing to get up and down for par at the tough 15th, the former Irish amateur champion pulled himself together to finish 3-3-4 and make the weekend.

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© Brian Keogh 2001

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