Lit up by a Luna eclipse
Spaniard shooting for the moon at Archerfield after a pair of eagles helps him to a best-of-the-day 65. Nick Rodger reports
IT was something of a Luna mission. Having rocketed into contention on day two of the Prostate Cancer UK Scottish Senior Open at Archerfield Links, it was safe to say that Santiago Luna was, well, over the moon. “Fantastico,” said the Spaniard with the kind of beaming grin that could’ve spanned the Firth of Forth.
He had every reason to be cheerful. The 53-year-old’s best-ofthe-day seven-under-par 65 for a 12-under total of 132 left the 2013 champion just two shots behind Northern Ireland’s Ronan Rafferty heading into the final round.
Luna’s victory in Scotland three years ago was his first on the over-50s circuit. Yesterday, he enjoyed another first in the cradle of the game. “It’s the first time in my life that I’ve had two eagles in one round,” added the Madrid veteran after illuminating his card with a pair of threes at the second and the 11th. The first eagle was secured with a raking putt of 35 feet, while a fine, faded 3-wood from 235 yards into a few feet spawned the second. “That shot was like a dream,” he added.
Luna claimed his one and only victory on the main European Tour at the 1995 Madeira Islands Open, but his finest hour came at St Andrews in 1998 when he beat Tiger Woods in the semi-finals of the Dunhill Cup. A victory here in East Lothian might just eclipse that moment, though, as Luna, with teenage son Jorge on his bag, looks to make it a family affair.
“I was really sad when I won the Scottish Seniors in 2013 because my family weren’t there,” he said. “To play well and have a win with someone from your family on your bag is a great feeling. And if I could do it here, with them all here, it would be the best feeling in my life.”
Luna’s sporting life was shaped by the late, great Seve Ballesteros, as he absorbed the technique and the talents of his swashbuckling compatriot as a wide-eyed youngster.
“It was many years ago. We had the Madrid Open at my home course and I copied Seve’s swing,” reflected Luna. “I stayed all week, sitting behind Seve and watching his swing because I was thinking at the time that the best way to be a good golfer is to imitate. And Seve, at that time, was the best.”
Rafferty, who surged to the front with an opening 63, was four ahead of the field after the first six holes of the second round but, with Luna on the charge, the former European No 1 found himself sharing the lead when he spilled a shot on the 12th. A trio of birdies on the closing stretch kept Rafferty at the summit, though, as he posted a 67 for a 14-under 130.
“Leading with a round to go is new ground for me as it’s been a long time since I was winning tournaments,” said Rafferty, whose seven European Tour wins arrived during a profitable four-year spell between 1989 and 1993. “I fully expect to be nervous on the first tee. There was a lot of laughing and joking on the first tee today. But maybe it won’t be like that before the final round.”
Australia’s Mike Harwood, who was runner-up in the 1991 Open at Royal Birkdale, tucked himself into third place with a tidy 66 to lurk three off the lead on 133 while the Scottish trio of Gordon Brand Jnr, Stephen McAllister and Andrew Oldcorn all finished on four-under 140s.