OVERNIGHT LEADER ROCK
CRUMPLES IN MALAYSIAN
OPEN SECOND ROUND.
Overnight leader Robert Rock sagged from a first-round 66 to a second-round 78 for a 36-hole total of level par 144 in the Maybank Malaysian Open at Saujana Golf & Country Club, Kuala Lumpur today.
A lightning storm hit the course, delaying the end of play. The second round will not be completed until early Saturday morning.
Thai teenager Chinarat Phadungsil brilliantly snatched the clubhouse lead with a second round five-under-par 67 for a halfway total of seven-under 137 before the storm sent everyone scurrying off the course.
The 18-year-old, already a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, struck seven birdies against two bogeys to give himself a chance at fast-tracking his burgeoning career.
Asian specialist Simon Dyson of England, who has won four times in the region including the Order of Merit title in 2000, bolted into contention with a 68 to lie two behind. Tied with him in second place is compatriot Marcus Higley (67) and Finland's Mikko Ilonen (70) in the US$1.29 million Championship jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.
Players were called off the course at 4.50pm when a lightning storm hit Saujana and officials later abandoned play for the rest of the day. All the 78 players in the afternoon session will return Saturday, 8am to complete their second rounds, with the third round expected to begin no earlier than 11.15am.
Dyson, who started from the 10th, made a strong charge with an outstanding outward 30 which included four birdies and one eagle before tripping up with a double bogey on the eighth when he caught the heavy rough. Still, the Englishman was upbeat.
"After the year that I had out here (in 2000) whenever I come back I feel like I'm the one to beat. So the confidence is up. I played great the front nine but the second nine, nothing went for me," said Dyson.
Former US Open champion Michael Campbell of New Zealand bounced back with a 70 after an opening 75 but will enter the weekend rounds eight off the pace. "It's awfully hard to read these greens sometimes. Yesterday, I hit 14 greens and shot 75 and today I hit 17 greens and shot 70. One thing that stands out is the putting.
"Obviously I'm not here to make the cut, I'm here to win a tournament. There might still be a chance if I can shoot a couple of low rounds," said Campbell.
Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, a key member of Europe's recent victories in the Ryder Cup, carded a 72, which included a double bogey on his last hole, for a two-over-par 146 total, which stood at the projected cut mark when play was abandoned.
Clarke, who slipped out from the world's top-10 for the first time in 10 years, is desperately looking for some Irish luck. "I played lovely all day and had a lot of really good shots but if they could finish a foot off the green or be buried in the rough, they did. It was the same as yesterday but 10 times worse today. At 15 I missed the fairway by two inches and had to chip out sideways," said Clarke.
Amongst those who will return to complete their second rounds on Saturday morning include Europe's Ryder Cup star Lee Westwood, who is two-over for the championship with two holes to complete.
INCOMPLETE SECOND-ROUND SCOREBOARD
+See footnote below scores:
137 Chinarat Phadungsil (THA) 70-67
139 Simon Dyson (ENG) 71-68, Mikko Ilonen (FIN) 69-70, Marcus Higley (ENG) 72-67
140 Soren Kjeldsen (DEN) 70-70
141 Kane Webber (AUS) 68-73
142 Gavin Flint (AUS) 71-71, Jeev Milkha Singh (IND) 71-71, Frankie Minoza (PHI) 72-70, Alessandro Tadini (ITA) 70-72, Simon Yates (Sc0) 73-69, Cesar Monasterio (ARG) 71-71
143 Damien Mcgrane (IRL) 70-73, Angelo Que (PHI) 70-73, Suk Jong-yul (KOR) 71-72, Andrew Coltart (Sco) 74-69, Sam Walker (ENG) 72-71, Gary Simpson (AUS) 71-72, Kyron Sullivan (WAL) 73-70
144 - Graeme Storm (ENG) 72-72, Andrew Marshall (ENG) 75-69, Robert Rock (ENG) 66-78, Peter Hedblom (SWE) 73-71, Adam Groom (AUS) 73-71
+A total of 78 players will tee off at 8am on Saturday to complete their second rounds.
CRUMPLES IN MALAYSIAN
OPEN SECOND ROUND.
Overnight leader Robert Rock sagged from a first-round 66 to a second-round 78 for a 36-hole total of level par 144 in the Maybank Malaysian Open at Saujana Golf & Country Club, Kuala Lumpur today.
A lightning storm hit the course, delaying the end of play. The second round will not be completed until early Saturday morning.
Thai teenager Chinarat Phadungsil brilliantly snatched the clubhouse lead with a second round five-under-par 67 for a halfway total of seven-under 137 before the storm sent everyone scurrying off the course.
The 18-year-old, already a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, struck seven birdies against two bogeys to give himself a chance at fast-tracking his burgeoning career.
Asian specialist Simon Dyson of England, who has won four times in the region including the Order of Merit title in 2000, bolted into contention with a 68 to lie two behind. Tied with him in second place is compatriot Marcus Higley (67) and Finland's Mikko Ilonen (70) in the US$1.29 million Championship jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.
Players were called off the course at 4.50pm when a lightning storm hit Saujana and officials later abandoned play for the rest of the day. All the 78 players in the afternoon session will return Saturday, 8am to complete their second rounds, with the third round expected to begin no earlier than 11.15am.
Dyson, who started from the 10th, made a strong charge with an outstanding outward 30 which included four birdies and one eagle before tripping up with a double bogey on the eighth when he caught the heavy rough. Still, the Englishman was upbeat.
"After the year that I had out here (in 2000) whenever I come back I feel like I'm the one to beat. So the confidence is up. I played great the front nine but the second nine, nothing went for me," said Dyson.
Former US Open champion Michael Campbell of New Zealand bounced back with a 70 after an opening 75 but will enter the weekend rounds eight off the pace. "It's awfully hard to read these greens sometimes. Yesterday, I hit 14 greens and shot 75 and today I hit 17 greens and shot 70. One thing that stands out is the putting.
"Obviously I'm not here to make the cut, I'm here to win a tournament. There might still be a chance if I can shoot a couple of low rounds," said Campbell.
Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, a key member of Europe's recent victories in the Ryder Cup, carded a 72, which included a double bogey on his last hole, for a two-over-par 146 total, which stood at the projected cut mark when play was abandoned.
Clarke, who slipped out from the world's top-10 for the first time in 10 years, is desperately looking for some Irish luck. "I played lovely all day and had a lot of really good shots but if they could finish a foot off the green or be buried in the rough, they did. It was the same as yesterday but 10 times worse today. At 15 I missed the fairway by two inches and had to chip out sideways," said Clarke.
Amongst those who will return to complete their second rounds on Saturday morning include Europe's Ryder Cup star Lee Westwood, who is two-over for the championship with two holes to complete.
INCOMPLETE SECOND-ROUND SCOREBOARD
+See footnote below scores:
137 Chinarat Phadungsil (THA) 70-67
139 Simon Dyson (ENG) 71-68, Mikko Ilonen (FIN) 69-70, Marcus Higley (ENG) 72-67
140 Soren Kjeldsen (DEN) 70-70
141 Kane Webber (AUS) 68-73
142 Gavin Flint (AUS) 71-71, Jeev Milkha Singh (IND) 71-71, Frankie Minoza (PHI) 72-70, Alessandro Tadini (ITA) 70-72, Simon Yates (Sc0) 73-69, Cesar Monasterio (ARG) 71-71
143 Damien Mcgrane (IRL) 70-73, Angelo Que (PHI) 70-73, Suk Jong-yul (KOR) 71-72, Andrew Coltart (Sco) 74-69, Sam Walker (ENG) 72-71, Gary Simpson (AUS) 71-72, Kyron Sullivan (WAL) 73-70
144 - Graeme Storm (ENG) 72-72, Andrew Marshall (ENG) 75-69, Robert Rock (ENG) 66-78, Peter Hedblom (SWE) 73-71, Adam Groom (AUS) 73-71
+A total of 78 players will tee off at 8am on Saturday to complete their second rounds.
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Friday, February 09, 2007
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