The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 44

Sport 15 The Guardian Saturday May 4 2002 Simpson Nearly man Immelman delivers the goods at last David Davles in Paris Earlier this year Ernie Els was listing the young pretenders of whom he, at the ripe old age of 32, had to be fearful. "There's Charlie Howell in America," he said, "there's Adam Scott from Australia, there's Sergio, of course, from Spain, lute Donald, Paul Casey from England and Trevor Immelman from my Whoa! Hold on, Els was asked, who's this Immelman? "Don't worry," replied the South African, "you'll find out" Yesterday, it could be said, was a part of the discovery process as Immelman, a talented 22-year-old, went round the Paris National course in 64, one off the course record, in the French Open. He had eight birdies for a 36-hole total of 132, 12 under par, an impressive performance over a difficult course. Jean-Francois Remesy, Jose Maria Olazabal and Eduardo Romero were both fourbehind with the Spaniard keen to maintain an amazing sequence of results he has not been out of the top five in Europe this year and only once out of the top 10 in eight events in the United States. This is the first time that Immelman has led a European Tour event after 36 holes and it is an achievement which, while expected in some quarters, has been quite a time in coming, He is competing in his 50th tour event as a professional, has her finger on the pulse Elspeth Burnside at Golf del Sur A broken finger was hardly the ideal start to her professional career but yesterday a fully fit Georgina Simpson proved she is a rookie worth watching in the windswept second round of theTenerife Open.

Despite gusts up to 45mph, the 26-year-old from Yorkshire repeated her opening 74 to reach halfway four shots behind the European Nol Raquel Carriedo, who had a 71 for a level-par 144 to lead by one from Italy's Veronica Zorzi and by two from England's Johanna Head. Itwaswhiledrivingajeep for a printing company during the winter that Simpson, a former England amateur international, had an argument with a pavement and broke the little finger on her right hand. She still made her professional debut in the Australia Open "I had already booked the trip so I thought I might as well go" but, not surprisingly, missed the cut. However, with her father as caddie, she was delighted with her European debut. Having delayed her switch to the paid ranks to spend four years gaining a degree in advertising from San Jose state university in California, she feels she is better equipped than most to make a smooth transition.

"I'm loving it," she said. "But nothing is desperately different from the amateur days. After all, you've still got a club and a ball and have to get round a course." Head, seeking her first tour win, had a 74 but the first-round leader Suzann Pettcrsen had two eights and crashed to an 83 to be 10 over on'154. straightforward win Index on he FA Cup final, award-: trig 25 points to the victors and lOfora draw. Arsenal -can be bought.

Sport-, "ing's more detailed perfor- -mance Index hasVl 5 points foragoal.lOfpracleari -sheet, 10 for striking the woodwork, throe for a corner; minus five for a yellow card and minus 16 for a rod. Buy Arsenal at 62 and sell the quote for the longest period without a goal at 55 withlG. Bet of the week Arsenal to be ahead at half-tlme andfull-tlme In the Cup final atS-2 with Chandler. on his fine 64 at the 18th yesterday Remy de la MauvinlereAP spread oyer three seasons, and while he played the third round in the last group in the ANZ championship in Aus-tralia this year, he was standing only second. Moreover he could not build on that position, eventually tying for eighth and equalling his best-ever finish.

But if he is driving in gingerly fashion around his learning curve, he has no doubts as to where he wants to get to. "I want to'be the best player in the world," he said yesterday. "There aren't many professional golfers in the world who can look you in the eye and say that they don't want to be the best in the world all of us do. "But I'm realising that you mustn't push it. The one piece of advice I keep getting from Ernie Els is to run my own race! You have to go at your own pace.

I might have been putting too much pressure on myself and maybe sometimes you just have to let it happen." Immelman had an exciting amateur career and, as avisit-. ihg boy golfer, was ranked No2 in the United States in 1995 behind Howell. In 1997 he reached the final of three national championships, the US Junior, the New Zealand and the Amateur at Royal St George's. He lost all bringing about the cruel comment in the European Tour's media guide that this was perhaps his "defining Immelman does not believe that for a moving inexorably towards the Double. And Arsene Wenger's men can be outright winners at 8-13 with Surrey and triumph in 90 minutes at 6-5 with the same firm.

Instead of trying to predict the final scorcline, back Arsenal to be ahead at half-time and 90 minutes at 5-2 with Chandler. Celtic are 5-4 with Lad-brokes to win the Scottish Cup in 90 minutes today. Rangers put in a spirited effort in the recent 1-1 Old Firm draw and value-seekers may be tempted by Bet 365's offer of 9-4 about Rangers being outright winners. Cheltenham and Rushden have duly reached Monday's Third Division play-off final. Rushden command respect at even money with Chandler but Cheltenham may just shade it at 5-6 with Hills." surrounded by water, and he hit a seven-iron from 171 yards, a shot that had to be faded to get at a pin position on the right of the green.

Imrnelman, a natural drawer of the ball, hit it so perfectly that it finished all of one inch from the pin, swing. They spent last week working on a correction, with the South African not surprisingly missing the cut. Now he says he feels "more in control" and yesterday hit a shot that he described as the best of his career. It-was at the 15th, a par-four with a green Back the inexorable Arsenal to beat Chelsea twice over today Trevor Immelman draws a bead moment, nor does Els and neither does his coach, Claude Harmon, son of Butch. They got together only two weeks ago and Harmon immediately spotted that the lithe and limber Immelman was way past the parallel at the top of the back- Racing Aidan O'Brien's Hawk Wing brings a huge reputation to this afternoon's 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.

The 7-4 favourite with Blue Square broke the all-age seven-furlong course record at the Curragh last year. A Ballydoyle insider reports that Hawk Wing has been working like "a monster" on the gallops; though there, is a slight worry about how well he will run down the hill on the Rowley Mile. Sir Alex Ferguson's Rock of Gibraltar, who was a consistent and high-class two-year-old, has come in for good each-way support this week and was down to 8-1 yesterday with Hills. But the dark horse could be the French challenger Massalani, whose trainer Andre Fabre has a Futures market bayia bltteiVdlMPpoInBnB8a- fspni'ati Ledsorid For rate tho Irishman as shartaseyenmoneynotto' -bo In trio manager's Job thostart of next season. VotLeary can'also be backed at a tamptjhg 642 with Power to begin' the next campaign-at Elland Road but to leave or besacked before tho.

2002-3 season ends. Sir L. Alex Ferguson Is 6-1 with HlilstolBayeOldTVaffordby May 2003 but Manchester United season has dteajMlnUhgonly by their. -'ownhlghstiiwaidsVHeis: boundtobithlasummer and could easily load United backtothetltlenextyearat with Chandler. superb record in Group One contests.

Olivier Peslier's mount looks worth an each-way saver at 16-1 with Coral. In tomorrow's 1,000 Guineas the main market mover in recent days has been O'Brien's Pietra Dura, backed down from 50-1 to 20-1 with Paddy Power. Golf Sergio Garcia's win in the Canaries Spanish Open moved him up to fourth in the European order of merit and he is now a best-priced 9-1 to top the list with Stanley. But Jose Maria Olazabal remains over 100,000 ahead of Garcia. And with all the bookies paying a quarter the odds a place on the first four, Olazabal looks the each-way value at 9-1 with Blue Square, as opposed to 5-1 with Chandler.

Jamie Reid Odds Fellow Those punters' who followed our suggestion to back Arsenal to win the FA Cup at 6-1 in January and to support Chelsea each way at 9-1 cannot lose on today's final. It's significant that Lad-brokes, responding to worries about Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's fitness, offer a top-price 11-8 about Chelsea winning the match outright. The Blues should not be underestimated with or without the striker but the Gunners have the look of a learn.