Price opens up a gap in Moscow after posting 69
Phillip Price extended his lead to two shots on day two of the VTB Russian Senior Open Golf Championship by posting a three-under-par 69 at Moscow Country Club. The Welshman, who posted a bogey-free 68 on day one, now sits on seven-under-par and had to show his character to bounce back from an early double bogey to keep the chasing pack at bay. Price’s countryman Stephen Dodd, David Shacklady, Ronan Rafferty and Miguel Angel Martin all lie tied second on five under. On a warm morning in the Russian capital, Price immediately extended his lead with an eagle on the par five second hole before the double bogey at the third dropped him back to where he started. Two birdies and a bogey ensured he made the turn at one under before three further gains and a single blemish on the back nine meant he signed for a 69. The 51-year-old was frustrated by wasting opportunities to pick up shots on the par fives, but was ultimately left content with a two-shot lead going into the final day. “It was very different to yesterday,” he said. “I played really solid yesterday, but today was good and bad. I think I bogeyed a couple of par fives, which was a bit of a waste, but it was up and down. “I didn’t play anywhere near as well today but I probably hit a lot of good short irons and made a lot of birdies to compensate some of the bad play that I had. “I eagled the second, which was great. I knocked it stiff from 240 yards and then I was in the middle of the fairway on the next and hit it in the hazard. “That’s the trouble, if you’re missing shots then you’re going to be in the hazard off the tee or in the trees off the tee, or in some of the hazards around the green. “I think I birdied the next couple after that and then I had a lovely back nine. I was going well around the middle part of it and then I bogeyed the par five 15th, which was a bit of a shame. I’m pretty pleased because it was an up and down day.” Despite admitting that he would have liked a larger lead in Moscow, Price hopes finding consistency will guide him to a first win of the season today. He added: “I probably need to be a little bit more consistent and hit the ball a little bit better.”