Asian Tour Press Release
McGrane set for first tour
win of career in China
Ireland’s Damien McGrane set himself well for the maiden win of his career, when his third round score of four-under-par 68 gave him pole position at the Volvo China Open going into Sunday's fourth and final round.
Overnight leader, Michael Lorenzo-Vera of France slipped down to a share of second place with England’s Oliver Wilson after they both finished with a three-day total of eight-under-par 208 at the Beijing CBD International Golf Club.
Two-time Asian Tour winner, Scott Strange of Australia carded the day’s best score of 66 for a 210 total to finish in fourth place while current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, Mark Brown of New Zealand is a further shot back in fifth on 211.
Defending champion, Markus Brier of Austria, Jason Knutzon of the United States and Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay are all tied for sixth after they returned with matching 212s.
McGrane started the day tied for second and got off the blocks quickly by reeling in three consecutive birdies starting from the 199-yards par-three three.
Two bogeys on the sixth and seventh holes cut his lead back but the Irishman made amends with four more birdies against a lone bogey on his homeward run to take him to the brink of his first title win.
“I am looking for my first win and I have been close for a number of years now. I have to start somewhere and you’ve to start with one. The sooner it comes, the better,” said McGrane.
“It is nice to go out as the leader and a little cushion is good. I have led tournaments before and it is all part and parcel of the golf business. I am expecting to play well again tomorrow and use my experiences in the past to help me achieve that,” added McGrane.
Asian Tour regular, Strange, who started the day tied for 23rd, made the biggest move of the day after his sparkling round of 66 took him to fourth place.
The 31-year-old Australian got off steadily on his opening front nine with a birdie on the second.
But it was only on his homeward nine that Strange began to mount a spectacular charge for the title.
He reeled in five more birdies, starting from the 11th, then moving on to three consecutive ones from the tricky 14th before closing with a last on the 18th.
“I liked my birdie on the 14th. I was pretty impressed with that. I was just on the fringe of the fairways and I hit it back to the greens with a seven-iron from 174 metres,” said Strange.
“There was a big bounce from about 12 metres to about two or three foots for my birdie chance,” added Strange
Brown also made a good move up from 13th place to tied-sixth but believes that he will have to do better with his tee shots so as to move within sight of the title at the US$2.2 million event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and China Golf Association.
“I didn’t really play very well from tee to green. I just hung in there with my short game the whole day,” said Brown.
“Tomorrow, you’ve got to have one of those days where you’ve to shoot very low scores. If I hit the fairways, it’s possible. Hopefully the driver will behave,” added Brown.
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Beijing CBD International GC, China.
Par 216 (3 x 72)
205 Damien McGrane 68 69 68.
208 Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 67 69 72, Oliver Wilson 72 66 70.
210 Scott Strange (Aus) 73 71 66.
211 Mark Brown (Nzl) 71 71 69.
212 Markus Brier (Aut) 71 69 72, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 71 71 70, Jason Knutzon (USA) 68 72 72 213 Airil Rizman (Mal) 69 72 72, Graeme McDowell 73 72 68, Richard Finch 68 69 76, David Bransdon (Aus) 73 72 68, Simon Griffiths 68 72 73.
214 Zane Scotland (Gb) 68 72 74, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 73 68 73.
215 Sam Walker 71 71 73, Antonio Lascuna (Phi) 72 71 72, Joost Luiten (Ned) 68 73 74, Adam Groom (Aus) 73 70 72, Wen Teh Lu (Tpe) 73 71 71.
216 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 70 71 75, Seung-yul Noh (Kor) 71 71 74, Peter Whiteford 73 72 71, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 75 71 70, David Howell 72 73 71, Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 73 74 69, Rhys Davies 71 74 71, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 72 72 72.
217 Todd Vernon (Swi) 71 72 74, Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) 69 75 73.
218 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 72 74 72, Li Chao (Chn) 68 74 76, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 74 72 72, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 72 74 72, John Bickerton 70 76 72, Paul Lawrie 71 75 72, Sam Little 74 73 71, Miles Tunnicliff 70 74 74.
219 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 73 74 72, Marcus Both (Aus) 73 73 73, Phillip Price 74 71 74, Simon Yates 72 72 75, Barry Lane 78 70 71.
220 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 75 72 73, Gaurav Ghei (Ind) 76 69 75, Wei Chih Lu (Tha) 75 73 72, Ross Fisher 74 72 74, Marcel Siem (Ger) 76 71 73, Stuart Manley 72 74 74, Mardan Mamat (Sin) 72 74 74, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 71 76 73.
221 Prom Meesawat (Tha) 71 76 74, Sung Lee (Kor) 73 75 73, Scott Barr (Aus) 73 74 74, Simon Wakefield 72 71 78, Paul Broadhurst 76 72 73.
222 Frankie Minoza (Phi) 73 72 77, David Frost (Rsa) 76 72 74, Ross Bain 73 73 76.
223 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 75 72 76, Kangchun Wu (Chn) 70 73 80, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind) 74 73 76, Gavin Flint (Aus) 73 74 76.
225 Wei-Huang Wu (Tpe) 73 75 77, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 75 71 79, Keng-chi Lin (Tai) 75 73 77, Mu Hu (Chn) 74 74 77.
227 Rafael Echenique (Arg) 69 76 82.
228 Julio Zapata (Arg) 70 78 80.
win of career in China
Ireland’s Damien McGrane set himself well for the maiden win of his career, when his third round score of four-under-par 68 gave him pole position at the Volvo China Open going into Sunday's fourth and final round.
Overnight leader, Michael Lorenzo-Vera of France slipped down to a share of second place with England’s Oliver Wilson after they both finished with a three-day total of eight-under-par 208 at the Beijing CBD International Golf Club.
Two-time Asian Tour winner, Scott Strange of Australia carded the day’s best score of 66 for a 210 total to finish in fourth place while current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, Mark Brown of New Zealand is a further shot back in fifth on 211.
Defending champion, Markus Brier of Austria, Jason Knutzon of the United States and Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay are all tied for sixth after they returned with matching 212s.
McGrane started the day tied for second and got off the blocks quickly by reeling in three consecutive birdies starting from the 199-yards par-three three.
Two bogeys on the sixth and seventh holes cut his lead back but the Irishman made amends with four more birdies against a lone bogey on his homeward run to take him to the brink of his first title win.
“I am looking for my first win and I have been close for a number of years now. I have to start somewhere and you’ve to start with one. The sooner it comes, the better,” said McGrane.
“It is nice to go out as the leader and a little cushion is good. I have led tournaments before and it is all part and parcel of the golf business. I am expecting to play well again tomorrow and use my experiences in the past to help me achieve that,” added McGrane.
Asian Tour regular, Strange, who started the day tied for 23rd, made the biggest move of the day after his sparkling round of 66 took him to fourth place.
The 31-year-old Australian got off steadily on his opening front nine with a birdie on the second.
But it was only on his homeward nine that Strange began to mount a spectacular charge for the title.
He reeled in five more birdies, starting from the 11th, then moving on to three consecutive ones from the tricky 14th before closing with a last on the 18th.
“I liked my birdie on the 14th. I was pretty impressed with that. I was just on the fringe of the fairways and I hit it back to the greens with a seven-iron from 174 metres,” said Strange.
“There was a big bounce from about 12 metres to about two or three foots for my birdie chance,” added Strange
Brown also made a good move up from 13th place to tied-sixth but believes that he will have to do better with his tee shots so as to move within sight of the title at the US$2.2 million event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and China Golf Association.
“I didn’t really play very well from tee to green. I just hung in there with my short game the whole day,” said Brown.
“Tomorrow, you’ve got to have one of those days where you’ve to shoot very low scores. If I hit the fairways, it’s possible. Hopefully the driver will behave,” added Brown.
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Beijing CBD International GC, China.
Par 216 (3 x 72)
205 Damien McGrane 68 69 68.
208 Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 67 69 72, Oliver Wilson 72 66 70.
210 Scott Strange (Aus) 73 71 66.
211 Mark Brown (Nzl) 71 71 69.
212 Markus Brier (Aut) 71 69 72, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 71 71 70, Jason Knutzon (USA) 68 72 72 213 Airil Rizman (Mal) 69 72 72, Graeme McDowell 73 72 68, Richard Finch 68 69 76, David Bransdon (Aus) 73 72 68, Simon Griffiths 68 72 73.
214 Zane Scotland (Gb) 68 72 74, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 73 68 73.
215 Sam Walker 71 71 73, Antonio Lascuna (Phi) 72 71 72, Joost Luiten (Ned) 68 73 74, Adam Groom (Aus) 73 70 72, Wen Teh Lu (Tpe) 73 71 71.
216 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 70 71 75, Seung-yul Noh (Kor) 71 71 74, Peter Whiteford 73 72 71, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 75 71 70, David Howell 72 73 71, Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 73 74 69, Rhys Davies 71 74 71, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 72 72 72.
217 Todd Vernon (Swi) 71 72 74, Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) 69 75 73.
218 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 72 74 72, Li Chao (Chn) 68 74 76, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 74 72 72, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 72 74 72, John Bickerton 70 76 72, Paul Lawrie 71 75 72, Sam Little 74 73 71, Miles Tunnicliff 70 74 74.
219 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 73 74 72, Marcus Both (Aus) 73 73 73, Phillip Price 74 71 74, Simon Yates 72 72 75, Barry Lane 78 70 71.
220 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 75 72 73, Gaurav Ghei (Ind) 76 69 75, Wei Chih Lu (Tha) 75 73 72, Ross Fisher 74 72 74, Marcel Siem (Ger) 76 71 73, Stuart Manley 72 74 74, Mardan Mamat (Sin) 72 74 74, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 71 76 73.
221 Prom Meesawat (Tha) 71 76 74, Sung Lee (Kor) 73 75 73, Scott Barr (Aus) 73 74 74, Simon Wakefield 72 71 78, Paul Broadhurst 76 72 73.
222 Frankie Minoza (Phi) 73 72 77, David Frost (Rsa) 76 72 74, Ross Bain 73 73 76.
223 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 75 72 76, Kangchun Wu (Chn) 70 73 80, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind) 74 73 76, Gavin Flint (Aus) 73 74 76.
225 Wei-Huang Wu (Tpe) 73 75 77, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 75 71 79, Keng-chi Lin (Tai) 75 73 77, Mu Hu (Chn) 74 74 77.
227 Rafael Echenique (Arg) 69 76 82.
228 Julio Zapata (Arg) 70 78 80.
Labels: ASIAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, April 19, 2008
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