Duped Southgate can still cash in
THREE days after being duped by Ian Poulter into believing he had won £50,000 for setting a world record, English golfer Matthew Southgate has played himself into contention for £875,000 at the Turkish Airlines Open. The 29-year-old shot an exceptional 65 to go into fourth place on eight under after two rounds, putting him in the mix for a first career title and one of the biggest prize pots on the European Tour. It comes after his part in the recordbreaking English foursome of Poulter, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton, who were told yesterday that they had entered the Guinness Book
of Records for playing a par-five in the quickest time in history during a three-nation shootout on Tuesday. Playing one shot each, they finished the 15th hole of the Regnum course in 32.70sec, and Southgate was later tricked by his team-mates into believing he would pocket £50,000 for the effort. It was only when Southgate checked with a Tour official if the money would count on the Order of Merit that the penny dropped. Southgate said: ‘Poulter was lucky — I’d have given the bill to him if I’d gone and bought myself an Audi or something.’ The Englishman is in line for a bigger cheque if he can maintain his form here, though he sits six shots off runaway leader Nicolas Colsaerts on 14 under. England’s Eddie Pepperell is second on 10 under after a second straight 66, while Fitzpatrick is in the fourway tie for fourth on eight under. Justin Rose’s pursuit of the title, which would have given him a shot at overhauling Tommy Fleetwood in the Race to Dubai, is fizzling out. He has made only one bogey in two rounds but is well adrift on five under.