Oliver

Farr

This restriction snuck up fast on the field and caused some tough decisions for UK residents that were still in the mix this week. That includes Oliver Farr who was 3-under after round one which had him right around 20th on the leaderboard. At press time there are 20 golfers that called it quits early this week. Joining the red list means flights are banned and returning UK residents require a hotel quarantine upon arrival home. Others who decided to WD today included: Steve Surry, Marcus Helligkilde, Ulrich van Berg, David Howell, Craig Howie, Graeme Storm, Steven Brown, Richard McEvoy, Andrew Wilson, Matthew Jordan, Niall Kearney, Richie Ramsay, Jean-Paul Strydom, Jonathan Caldwell, Oliver Fisher, Paul Dunne, Liam Johnston, Cormac Sharvin, and Matt Ford.

The 35-year-old Farr, No. 385 in the world rankings, is still seeking his first career win in a 10-year professional career but he’s got history on his side at the Torrance Course, which is making its second appearance as a European Tour event venue after making its debut last year as the site of the Scottish Championship. Last year at the Hero Open, held at Forest of Arden CC, Farr finished T-3 at 14-under 274, three shots behind winner Sam Horsfield. He was also top 10 in the 2020 Scottish Championship at Torrance, vaulting 16 spots on the leaderboard to T-9 thanks to a bogey-free, 7-under 65 in the final round. This season, Farr has made seven cuts in 15 starts and arrives in Scotland on a streak of four straight. He’s finished in the top 25 in three of his last four events including a T-11 last week at the ISPS Handa World Invitational. He was T-14 the week prior at the Cazoo Open.

The 33-year-old Farr finished T-59 in his last start at the abrdn Scottish Open for his second consecutive made cut this season after recording a T-23 result the week prior at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. “In the last couple of weeks, I have shown some progress results-wise,” Farr told bbc.com. “After two days at the Scottish Open I was right up there. I had a poor Saturday and when you are playing against the world’s best, any iffy round is going to get found out. I actually hit the ball quite nicely but didn’t putt very well. There are some things to learn. Being in a world-class field and being right up there after two days, it can only help the confidence.” Farr hopes the comfort of home will inspire his first career European Tour win as he also aims to move inside the top 110 in the Race to Dubai – he’s current No. 178 – and secure his card for next season. In last year’s Cazoo Open, Farr missed the cut although he finished T-39 at the 2020 Celtic Classic also held at Celtic Manor.

This season marks the third time that the 31-year-old Welshman (based in England) has attempted to negotiate a European Tour season. Unfortunately for him it might not be third time lucky. His first crack was in 2015 when he went 10-for-30 to finish 211th in the rankings. Three years later he managed two top tens as he landed 13-for-29 for 149th. This campaign he is 3-for-6 and 162nd. In other words, he’s on track to repeat. It’s a pity because he’s earned his chance every time the hard way, via a full season of Challenge Tour golf and last year he made very few starts after the birth of a second child and the need to support his family in the time of (unspecified) grief. A county team-mate of Aaron Rai and Ashley Chesters he is keen to bridge the gap. “I feel like there is unfinished business for me on the main tour,” he told the BBC earlier this year. “I’ve missed a putt and then thought after a round, ‘That cost me so much.’”

The Welshman trails his one-time county team-mate Ashley Chester by two strokes and is tied third heading into the second round after the first circuit was finally completed midway through Friday and he needs to be this close to the top of the leaderboard. He ranks 153rd on the Race to Dubai despite finishing T9 last week in the British Masters at Walton Heath. It was his second top ten of the year, but they are his only top 20 finishes. He played the back nine first and ticked the tenth, 12th and 17th. But the front nine was a tougher examination, but he made par at all nine holes.

That’s just one swing behind leader David Horsey and puts the Welshman in solo second. Despite missing just one green, he still suffered three bogeys after three-putting twice. Farr overcame the dropped shots at 10 (his opening hole), 2 and 9 by circling eight birdies and an eagle. His biggest scoring burst came on his second nine where he played the six-hole stretch from the 3rd to the 8th in seven-under, the highlight an eagle-3 at the par-5 6th. Farr, who split 12 (of 14) fairways but needed 30 putts, sits 152nd in the Race To Dubai after making just 9 of 20 cuts this season and failing to post a single top 25. Thanks to his lowest round of the campaign by four shots, he’s in great position to finally secure a decent payday.

The rookie from Wales celebrated his 27th birthday on Wednesday, so all that’s missing is a celebratory gift. He’s just 4-for-9 this season with no better than a T45 at the Africa Open. Yet, here he is contending in Morocco. Far has missed only three (of 26) fairways thus far; he landed 13 greens in regulation in each round. The precision paved the way for eight birdies against two bogeys, both at the par-4 18th hole. He finished 10th in earnings in what was his rookie season on the Challenge Tour in 2014.

One of the puzzles to solve for gamers this week was how much emphasis to put on past course form given that it came at Challenge Tour level when Al Mouj staged five events from 2013-2017. So far, those previous looks appear to be a definite help with current clubhouse leader Dan Huizing having finished T9 at the Greg Norman track back in November. Welshman Farr also ticked the course form box having posted 12-22-20 at Al Mouj from 2015-2017 and he matched his low round on the par 72 thanks to four birdies and 14 pars today. Those gains came at 4, 11, 12 and 16. Farr won the Challenge Tour’s Foshan Open in October and is 3-for-4 on the European Tour this season after winning his card back.

Struggling outside the top 150 in the Race to Dubai having gone 5-for-9 and arrives in Morocco fresh from three missed cuts. Any hope for the Welshman therefore? Well, he makes his course debut this week, but in his only previous tournament start he did share the 36 hole lead at Golf du Palais Royal thanks to laps of 70-68, but weekend circuits of 74-79 saw him fall back to T59. Nearing 50 starts on the European Tour he is still looking for a first top 20, but T27 at Wentworth, T21 and T24 at Royal Pines and T23 at Skolkovo hint at a fondness for golf among the trees, as do his two Challenge Tour victories at National in Turkey and, last October, Foshan in China.

An important week for the Welshman who started the season with a solid run of 5-for-6, albeit with a best of only T26 in the Australian PGA Championship. But he then missed four straight cuts from the Tshwane Open to Trophee Hassan II. T26 in the Rocco Forte Open and T25 in the Belgian Knockout followed, but he missed the cut in the BMW PGA Champonship and Italian Open, two weeks when top 40s would have helped his quest to retain his card. Has played in Austria twice: T21 on the Challenge Tour in 2013 and 71-77 to miss the cut in this event last year.