POWER OF THE MIND PAYS OFF FOR MIKE

MIKE LORENZO-VERA is fully focused on claiming a first European Tour title in the Qatar Masters after receiving a dressing-down from his sports psychologist. The Frenchman went eight seasons without a top-three finish before the 2017 HNA Open de France and lost a play-off in last season’s Rocco Forte Sicilian Open, but enjoys a share of the halfway lead with South Africans George Coetzee and Justin Harding in Doha. All three players have carded consecutive rounds of 68 on the opening two days to reach eight under par, a shot ahead of England’s Oliver Wilson, South Africa’s Erik Van Rooyen, Spain’s Adri Arnaus and Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura. Working with Justin Parsons on his swing and fitness coach Kev Duffy on the physical side of the game has paid dividends for Lorenzo-Vera (right), but the 34-year-old revealed a different mental approach could make the biggest difference. ‘We’ve been working really hard on the swing to make it consistent, we’ve been working very hard mentally with my psychologist and Justin told me I needed to be more strong and precise on my physical preparation for the swings,’ Lorenzo-Vera told Sky Sports. ‘Kev Duffy helped me a lot to do that and then had a great chat last week with my psychologist. She’s been kicking my a** because I don’t believe in myself and the fact that I can win so I’m coming here and just thinking about the trophy.’ Harding has won seven times around the world but not on the European Tour and was happy to save par on the 18th after pulling his second shot into the water on the par five. ‘It was naughty, but I’m happy I made five in the end and it didn’t really cost me too many shots,’ Harding said. ‘Each day is its own puzzle. You’ve got to go sort it out. You can’t really go out there thinking you are going to play well.