They turned professional on the same day in 2007 and were good pals and rivals in the amateur game, but Lloyd Saltman and Rory McIlroy have veered off in different directions.
“He’s going to the White House to meet the President and he’s playing tennis with Sharapova these days,” chuckled Saltman, who still keeps in touch with his old sparring partner from the unpaid ranks.
While McIlroy now goes about his business in a different stratosphere, Saltman’s career has remained largely on the launch pad, but the Scot thrust himself into contention for a maiden European Tour win yesterday during round three of the Sicilian Open at the sparkling Verdura resort.
With winds gusting up to 25mph, it was more like his own backyard of Musselburgh than the Mediterranean and Saltman revelled in this golfing home from home, harnessing the elements to good effect with a three-under-par 69 for an eight-under 208. That left the 26-year-old four shots behind Danish front- runner Thorbjorn Olesen in a share of fourth heading into the final day.
Saltman’s rise into the upper reaches of the standings is made all the more impressive by the fact he has produced his best golf in the toughest of conditions. As the winds grew in menace during Friday’s second round, the former Open silver medal winner still covered his closing eight holes in five under and he carried that form into day three with a bogey-free card.
The highlight came on the raking 11th where he launched a three-wood off the fairway from 280 yards and holed the resulting putt of 20 feet for a birdie four. Equally important, however, was the salvage operation on the 18th which ensured his run without a dropped shot extended to 27 holes. He almost lost his drive in the left-hand rough but hacked out to the side of the green before comp-leting an excellent up-and-down with a 10ft putt to safeguard his par.
“This must be the best run I’ve had in a while given that I’ve not dropped a shot since my ninth hole of the second round,” said Saltman, whose best result on the main circuit to date was fourth in the Madeira Islands Open last year. “Coming back in 31 on Friday really changed things for me and that set me up perfectly for today.”
With an attacking style of play, Saltman has never been found wanting in the birdies or eagles department, but you only need to go back to his final event of his rookie season, when he finished ninth in the South African Open, to find evidence of some crippling calamities.
The former Walker Cup player reeled off 22 birdies over the four days but a quartet of double-bogeys over his last 24 holes cost him victory and, ultimately, his Tour card.
“I’ve always been a naturally aggressive player,” he added. “I push hard and that’s why I had success as an amateur. But it can make you inconsistent and the bogeys and doubles have cost me. But I’m just trying to get that one big result that can change your career and maybe this is the week for it.”
Nick Rodger, The Herald, 1 April 2012
