CIMB CLASSIC report and scores
There's no doubting Thomas - 61 to take halfway lead
ASIAN TOUR NEWS RELEASE
Kuala
Lumpur: American Justin Thomas shot a stunning career low
11-under-par 61 to snatch the halfway lead at the US$7 million CIMB Classic
on Friday with a tournament record of 15-under-par 129.
The
22-year-old Thomas produced a master class performances in rewriting a
new low score at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club’s West course,
sinking one eagle and nine birdies to lead by one from countryman
Brendan Steele, who came home in 63.
Overnight
leader Scott Piercy settled for a 69 to lie two off the pace alongside
Spencer Levin (64) and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (66) in the tournament
sanctioned by the Asian Tour and PGA TOUR.
Current Asian Tour number one Anirban Lahiri of India, who is also now a US PGA Tour member, carded a 67 for tied 21st place with amongst others, second-ranked Australian Scott Hend of Australia, who
shot a 70.
Thomas,
seeking a maiden victory on the PGA TOUR in his first visit to Asia,
was delighted to walk away with the halfway lead. “It was obviously a
great day. It was one of those days when you kind of get unconscious
and get rolling out there. They don't happen too often,” said Thomas,
whose two-day total is the lowest in CIMB Classic history in relation to
par although the preferred lie ruling has been in effect in the opening
two rounds.
“I
just got off to a good start. Being five-under through five, that got
me in it and kind of got me in that attack mind frame. I gave myself a
lot of really close, easy birdie putts. If I missed the green,
I missed it in a good spot where I could get it up-and-down. So it was a
fun day.”
Thomas
arrived in Malaysia on the back of some good form following his best
outing on Tour with a third place finish at the Frys.com Open two weeks
ago. He went out in 30, which included a six-foot eagle conversion
on three after rifling a five iron into the green.
When
the world number 64 reached 11-under through 15, the magical score of
59 seemed a possibility but Thomas could not snare the two more birdies
required in his last three holes.
“It
(59) first came up in my mind after I birdied 11 and 12, when I got to
eight-under through 11, I felt like that I had a chance. You don't think
about it too much really, so I tried not to. After I birdied
14 and 15, I knew I just needed to get two of my last three. And I
mean, they're all pretty easy holes. So it was obviously unfortunate not
to get that number but I'm sure I'll have many more chances in my
career,” said Thomas, who has needed only 25 putts
per round so far this week.
A
close friend of newly installed US PGA Tour Player of the Year, Jordan
Spieth, Thomas is hoping to break into the winner’s circle by bagging
the CIMB Classic. “Obviously, it's a great position to be in,
but there's a lot of golf left. I just need to keep firing. You need to
make a lot of birdies just to kind of keep pace or get ahead of pace.
So I just need to stay patient and play well and have some fun out
there,” said Thomas.
Steele,
chasing a second PGA TOUR win, was also bogey-free as he stayed hot on
the new leader’s heels with seven birdies and one eagle on the third
hole. “I'm doing a lot of things well right now,” said the
32-year-old, whose best finish in the event was tied 25th two years ago.
“I'm
putting the ball in some pretty good spots. I've got a little more
length than I had the last time I was here in 2013, so I can cover a few
more bunkers.”
World
number 15 Matsuyama, sank three birdies in his opening five holes and
just as many in his closing five holes for a bogey-free day to stay in
contention for a second title on the PGA TOUR. He knows he
must convert more birdie chances where he is tied first in greens hit
in regulation.
“I
played well again. I didn't quite hit the ball or putt it as well as I
did yesterday, but I'm happy the way I got it around and into the hole,”
said the 23-year-old, who is also five-time winner in Japan.
The
Japanese star believes the heat and humidity can be a factor this
weekend. “When it's so hot, we all sweat a lot and it's important to
make sure I've got a towel handy and don't let my grips get wet at
all. Also, the concentration level that you need is much more difficult
in the heat and you really need to be careful,” said Matsuyama.
Defending champion Ryan Moore, bidding a three-peat at the CIMB Classic, carded a 69 to lie in tied 15th place on 136, some seven shots back of the lead.
Scores after round 2 of the CIMB Classic being played at the par 72, 6,985 Yards Kuala Lumpur GcC course (am - denotes amateur):
129 - Justin Thomas (USA) 68-61.
130 - Brendan Steele (USA) 67-63.
131 - Spencer Levin (USA) 67-64, Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 65-66, Scott Piercy (USA) 62-69.
132 - Stewart Cink (USA) 68-64.
133 - Brian Harman (USA) 70-63, Kevin Na (USA) 67-66.
134 - Troy Merritt (USA) 68-66, Jason Gore (USA) 66-68, Adam Scott (AUS) 68-66.
135 - James Hahn (USA) 70-65, Morgan Hoffmann (USA) 67-68, David Hearn (CAN) 70-65.
136
- Kyle Reifers (USA) 70-66, Ryan Moore (USA) 67-69, Keegan Bradley
(USA) 66-70, Jim Herman (USA) 70-66, Kevin Kisner (USA) 71-65, Patrick
Reed (USA) 68-68.
137
- Scott Hend (AUS) 67-70, Branden Grace (RSA) 67-70, Daniel Summerhays
(USA) 71-66, Paul Peterson (USA) 70-67, Alex Cejka (GER) 66-71, Sergio
Garcia (ESP) 70-67, Anirban Lahiri (IND) 70-67.
Labels: ASIAN TOUR
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