O’MALLEY (67) TAKES LEAD
IN BMW ASIAN OPEN

Shanghai, April 24: Australian veteran Peter O’Malley snatched the first round lead at the BMW Asian Open on Thursday as in-form Indian star Jeev Milkha Singh headed the chasing pack.
A refreshed O’Malley, searching for a first victory in three years, sank six birdies against a lone bogey at Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club for a five-under-par 67, one clear of Singh, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, Mikko Ilonen of Finland and England’s Oliver Wilson.
Scott Hend of Australia was a further stroke back after enduring a late double bogey for a 69 while golf legend Greg Norman, also from Australia, battled to a 71. Zhang Lian-wei carried China’s challenge with a fine 70 for a share of seventh place with amongst others Danny Chia of Malaysia and New Zealand’s Richard Lee.
On a tight 7,326-yard Tomson course, the 42-year-old O’Malley used his renowned straight-hitting game to great effect and capped his day in style by sinking a 45-foot birdie putt on the sixth hole, his 15th of the round after starting from the 10th hole.
“I played really well. I haven’t played a lot recently and had six weeks off after India. I played last week in Beijing and missed the cut but didn’t think the game was far away. My iron play was great as well and I couldn’t find any fault with that,” said O’Malley.
With seven career victories under belt but his last triumph being the 2005 New Zealand PGA Championship, O’Malley plans to put the shade on some of the world’s best players gathered in Shanghai. He likes the Tomson course, finishing tied 15th and equal eighth in the last two editions of the BMW Asian Open.
“I have played well here the last three years and I enjoy it. There is certainly a premium on accuracy off the tee and the ball is rolling too, so it is not playing as long as it can. The fairways, you couldn’t ask for a better playing surface so the course is well suited to my game,” said O’Malley.
India’s Singh, the 2006 Asian Tour number one, wielded a hot putter as he overcame some rust in his swing by taking only 23 putts on the greens. Fresh from his best Major finish at the Masters Tournament where he tied for 25th place two weeks ago, he put together five birdies against a lone dropped shot.
“I didn’t hit the ball good today but my putting was excellent. Last week was an off week for me and I didn’t practice much and it showed up. However, I would prefer good putting to ball striking on any day. It’s a good feeling when you can get the ball into the hole. Yesterday, I putted a lot as I was trying to get the speed in my hands,” said Singh.
The Indian star has already posted two runner-up outings in Indonesia and Korea this season and he hopes to deliver Asia’s first victory in the BMW Asian Open, which was inaugurated in 2001.
“I love this golf course. You’ve got to have strong management and I did that today. You have to drive it well here and I have been driving it well. That’s why I was comfortable and it suits me,” said Singh, currently second on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit.
World number 13 Stenson lived up to his top billing with a six-birdie round, giving himself a chance of redemption following a play-off loss at the 2006 BMW Asian Open. Starting from the 10th tee, he got out from the blocks with four birdies over his opening seven holes before three putting the par three 17th which stalled his fast start.
“I played really solid in the beginning and then made a bad three putt,” he said. “It is always nice coming back to a course where you have played well before.”
Hend, who finished joint third in last year’s BMW Asian Open, reverted to his old clubs after missing the cut in Beijing last week and was rewarded with a card that included an eagle, four birdies and a bogey and double bogey.
“I had my old clubs and my old driver back and I’m feeling good again. Last week I had new driver and new irons in the bag and I wasn’t quite used to them and didn’t play well. I had my wife FedEx the old clubs to me from Florida and I feel like I’m hitting it good again,” said Hend.
The big-hitting Hend topped the leaderboard at five under through 15 holes before dropping two shots on the seventh hole, his 16th of the day. “I had one brain fade on the golf course. Other than that, it was solid,” said the former USPGA Tour regular.
Veteran Zhang Lian-wei endured two three-putt bogeys in his round of 70 but was pleased with his start. “I’m very happy but it’s still the first day. My iron play was very good, much better than last week (where he missed the cut).”
The 53-year-old Norman, who has scaled down his playing schedule to focus on his thriving global business which includes golf course designs, apparels and wine, swapped three birdies against two bogeys and lamented poor concentration for the dropped shots.
“I thought it should have been better. I played well except for a couple of holes but outside of that, I concentrated well and putted well and didn’t make anything,” said the Aussie, a winner of over 90 international tournaments.
FIRST-ROUND LEADERS
Par 72. 7326 yards
67 Peter O’Malley (Aus).
68 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind), Henrik Stenson (Swe), Mikko Ilonen (Fin), Oliver Wilson (Eng).
69 Scott Hend (Aus).
70 Zhang Lian-wei (Chn), Danny Chia (Mas), Richard Lee (Nzl), Robert Jan-Derksen (Net), Marcus Fraser (Aus), Robert Dinwiddie (Eng), Jose-Felipe Lima (Por).
71 Greg Norman (Aus), Li Chao (Chn), Liang Wen-chong (Chn), Darren Clarke (Ire), Thongchai Jaidee (Tha), Lin Wen-tang (Tpe), Shiv Kapur (Ind), Michael Campbell (Nzl), Iain Steel (Mas), Scott Strange (Aus).

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Chinese website: www.bmw.com.cn