Simon Dyson avoids burn-out after US Golf Open wash-out (From Gazette & Herald)

Simon Dyson avoids burn-out after US Golf Open wash-out

1:34pm Wednesday 24th June 2009

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RYEDALE star golfer Simon Dyson is taking a break after his US Open hopes were washed away in the rain.

The Malton & Norton Golf Club ace will miss the BMW Open, which gets under way in Munich tomorrow, after his coach, Pete Cowan, warned against burn-out.

Cowan advised the 31-year-old to pull out of the tournament in Germany after a punishing schedule leading up to and including the US Open, in which Dyson bowed out after two rain-affected days on the testing Black course at Bethpage State Park in New York.

He is now set for a two-week rest, and is expected to return to the European Tour fray at the French Open in Paris on July 2.

Dyson’s busy recent schedule saw him finish joint-sixth in the Celtic Manor Wales Open, before immediately heading straight into two rounds of qualifying for The Open and then flying out to the US to acclimatise to New York.

He exited the US Open on eight-over par after two rounds, having suffered the misfortune to be among the early starters in an almighty storm on Thursday.

Conditions did not improve until the initial groups – which included Dyson, along with world stars Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and Tiger Woods – had finished their opening rounds.

As if the torrential rain were not enough, on resumption tournament officials reportedly refused to give players permission to clean and replay balls on the sodden fairways.

That resulted in the world’s top professionals having to play balls caked in mud until the surface dried out on day two.

Despite that bad luck, Dyson, pictured, was a model of consistency as he bowed out with his head high.

He carded a level-par 70 in round two, but missed the cut after that first day 78. Starting round two on the back nine, Dyson reeled off nine consecutive pars. He then started the front nine with an eagle on the par four first.

Dropped shots at the fourth and fifth put him back to eight-over for the tournament and he played the last four holes of his round in level par.

The tournament was carried over to Monday – for the first time since 1983 – and was won by unheralded American Lucas Glover.

Dyson’s fellow Malton & Norton professional, Michael Brooks, has also endured rotten luck.

He had to withdraw from the Club Pro’s competition in Scotland due to injury – which could also hamper his Major hopes.

Brook, who qualified after finishing regional qualifying in second place, has sustained a back problem, either a strained or torn ligament. This has come at a particularly bad time as he was due to attempt to qualify today for The Open.

Meanwhile, club-mate Brian Jaques did well in the Yorkshire Union Seniors Amatuer Championship at Harrogate.

He finished joint-second in category ‘B’ with a gross 73, though he had to settle for third on a card play-off.

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