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BRILLIANT JOAN POCH DOMINATES CATALAN OPEN

Weather conditions were much better for the second day of the Catalan Open. Joan Poch from Franciac near Girona maintained the advantage he had held right from start to win the tournament with half a dozen strokes to spare on a top-class field. The Catalan star shot a superb final round of 48, highlighted by an ace at the 42 metre 17th hole, to post a 54 hole aggregrate of eleven under par 151. Poch's Catalan colleague Jordi Salva carded a closing 49 to finish second on 157, two shots clear of the very experienced Catalan Paco Salido. The leading 54 hole scores were:

151 Joan Poch (Catalonia)
157 Jordi Salva (Catalonia)
159 Paco Salido (Catalonia)
160 Pepe Garcia (Andorra), Ramon Jardi (Catalonia), Enric Sanz (Catalonia)
161 William Buckley (Ireland), Toni Armengol (Andorra), Jordi Serra (Catalonia)
162 Tracey McGrath (Ireland), Barto Jimenez (Catalonia)
Damien Mullaney (Ireland)
163 Daniel Gimenez (Catalonia)
164 Antonio Sanz (Andorra), Ian Farrrelly (Ireland), Larry Maher (Ireland), Marcal More (Catalonia)
165 Anto Gray (Ireland), Luis Grife (Catalonia)
166 Damien Mullaney (Ireland), Emili San Martin (Catalonia).

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POCH IS OVERNIGHT LEADER

Strengthening winds were a major factor during the second round at Lleida. Joan Poch from the Franciac club in Catalonia three putted the 18th for a second round of 55 (that four was only his second bogey of the entre day). Poch still holds a five shot overnight advantage heading into the final round of the III Catalan Open. Poch is the only player under par after two rounds. His 103 aggregate leaves the top Catalan player of the moment ahead of fellow Catalans Paco Salido and Jordi Salva who both returned 108. Leading non Catalans are Irish players Tracey McGrath and Larry Maher, both on 109. The leading 36 hole scores are:

103 Joan Poch (Catalonia)
108 Paco Salido (Catalonia), Jordi Salva (Catalonia)
109 Tracey McGrath (Ireland), Larry Maher (Ireland)
110 Enric Sanz (Catalonia), Antonio Sanz (Andorra), Pepe Garcia (Andorra), Toni Armengol (Andorra), Ramon Jardi (Catalonia), Jordi Serra (Catalonia)
111 William Buckley (Ireland), Damien Mullaney (Ireland), Barto Jimenez (Catalonia).

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HOME PLAYER POCH LEADS CATALAN OPEN

Lleida Pitch and Putt course presented a tough assignment for the 71 players in action on day one at the III Catalan Open.

Catalan Joan Poch, winner of two ranking tournaments already this year, shot a marvellous six under par 48 in very windy conditions to lead by three after 18 holes. Ian Farrelly, the five time international open winner from Ireland, is next best. The leading first round scores are:

48 Joan Poch
51 Ian Farrelly
52 Tracey McGrath, Antonio Sanz, Toni Armengol, Daniel Gimenez
53 Angel Ruiz, Anto Gray, Luis Grife.