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Home Amateur Ortiz Grabs Lead in
Kai Fieberg Costa Rica Open
Six days after a convincing
14-stroke victory for his fifth
career title at the Central
American Amateur Championship,
Costa Rican amateur Alvaro Ortiz
is the surprising outright
leader at the Kai Fieberg Costa
Rica Open 2007 at Cariari
Country Club.
The 38 year old sank a 15 foot
birdie putt at the 18th to shoot
68 for the second consecutive
day and lead at six under par
136. The local star leads
Argentine Miguel Rodriguez by
one at the us$175,000 event
co-sanctioned by the European
Challenge Tour and the Tour de
las Americas.
Gustavo Acosta, another
Argentine chasing Ortiz, holds
third place a stroke further
back, while his fellow
countrymen Lucas Juncos, Juan
Abbate and Julio Zapata joined
England’s Matthew King in a
four-way tie for fourth on three
under par 139.
England’s Robert Dinwiddie, the
overnight leader after a course
record-equaling 65 on Thursday,
had one of those devilish days
on the golf course as he carded
four bogeys, a double-bogey and
only one birdie on his way to a
78.
“I must admit that I’m surprised
to be leading,” said Ortiz. “I’m
very happy. This is something
that I and the ones supporting
me should enjoy.”
The Cariari Country Club member
knows the 6,557 yard, par 71
layout extremely well and made
the most of this experience
during round two. A level par 35
on the front nine allowed him to
stay within one stroke of the
lead, before the Costa Rican
took off with birdies at 12, 14,
15 and 18 against a lone bogey
for an inward half of 33.
“On the back nine I played
really well and my putter
definitely made the difference.
I handled the pressure and the
circumstances real well. You
know, it’s not easy, even your
own course can look quite
different when playing under
pressure,” added Ortiz.
Rodriguez was equally surprised
about holding outright second
after a solid 67. “This is the
first time I have made the cut
in three tries on this course. I
missed the cut by far in
Colombia last week and I wasn’t
playing well at all on my
arrival here. I was complaining
about everything that even my
friends and colleagues from
Argentina wanted to send my back
to Buenos Aires right away,”
admitted the 33 year old after
putting the smile back on his
face with five birdies and only
one bogey.
A total of 66 players survived
the cut at four over par 146 and
Ortiz was the only amateur among
them.
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