McILROY TRAILS SPANISH ROOKIE LEADER BY NINE SHOTS IN HONG KONG OPEN

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE ASIAN TOUR

Asian Tour rookie Javi Colomo of Spain outshone all the illustrious names on the opening day of the UBS Hong Kong Open by firing a flawless six-under-par 64 to take the first round clubhouse lead on Thursday.

The opening round had to be suspended due to darkness with three players from the last group yet to complete their round. They will resume play on Friday, 8am.

Compatriot Miguel Angel Jimenez, who is twenty years older than Colomo, showed that old is gold when he rolled back the years to take a share of second place with Australia’s Andrew Dodt, a one-time winner on the Asian Tour, with his opening 65.

Trailing a further shot back is China’s most decorated player, Zhang Lian-wei who could have returned with a lower score had he not carded a double-bogey six on his finishing par-four 10^th.

The 47-year-old veteran signed for a 66 to take equal fourth place alongside Asian Tour honorary member Y.E. Yang of Korea, Ryder Cup Captain José María Olazábal of Spain, Italy’s Gagli Lorenzo and Sweden’s Fredrik Andersson Hed at the Hong Kong Golf Club.

Colomo, who has enjoyed three top-10 finishes on the Asian Tour this season, opened his campaign with pars on his first eight holes.

The 28-year-old’s round came alive when he blazed the course with six birdies in eight holes in his homeward run.

“I was very relaxed after the first nine holes, and after that, I took all my birdie opportunities. It helped that I had luck on my side on the greens as well,” said Colomo.

“I'm playing really well, because this is my first season here.  The first six months, it was very hard for me and for my wife, but now we are more comfortable and happy. It’s perfect,” added Colomo, who earned his Tour card by finishing tied-ninth at the Asian Tour Qualifying School in January.

Having won the Hong Kong Open in 2004 and 2007, Jimenez is bidding for a hat-trick of victories this week.

The cigar-chomping Spaniard was poised to extend his advantage at the top before two closing bogeys set him back.

“I played very solid all day long from tee to green.  I'm putting very well. It was a pity that I missed a fairway on the ninth hole and then I had to lay up and I missed a three metre putt,” said Jimenez.

“Then on the last hole, I got a big flyer, and that is the defence of the golf course, when you miss the fairway and go into the rough.  I made a bogey there again which is not very nice,” added the 48-year-old.

Highly regarded as a role model and big brother to the younger generations of golfers from China, Zhang showed that he can still lead the way after another commanding performance where he carded six birdies against a double-bogey.

After winning the National Opens of China and Macau, Zhang is hoping that he can add Hong Kong to his impressive haul of five victorious on the Asian Tour.

“I've won the China Open and the Macau Open and I've always wanted to add the Hong Kong Open to my wins. That's why I always love to come back to Hong Kong and play in the Hong Kong Open. Nobody has done it before and hopefully I can be the first player to achieve that accomplishment,” said Zhang.

Throughout his illustrious career that spans almost two decades, Zhang has beaten the likes of Major champions such as South Africa’s Ernie Els and Zimbabwean Nick Price.

With world number one Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and ltaly’s Matteo Manassero among the elite field this week, Zhang remains bullish about his chances of getting the better over the Major champions as well as his younger rivals who are almost half his age.

“I’ve the local knowledge here with all of my years of experience and they will be advantageous to me this week,” said Zhang.

Yang, who enjoyed a top-10 finish in Singapore last week, continued to ride on his good form, by mixing five birdies against a lone bogey on the 18^th to stay in touch with the leaders.

“Apart from the 18^th, I'm satisfied with the way I played today. It's been a while since I've been on the leaderboard after the first round so that's definitely a plus.  Hopefully I can build upon that,” said the Asian Tour honorary member.

Stephen Gallacher is the leading Scot on 68, one ahead of Paul Lawrie. He birdied seventh, 15th and 17th.
Nothing much happened for Rory McIlroy who finished on three-over-par 73. He had one birdie, at the long third, and bogey at the first, sxith, 14th and 15th in halves of 35-38.
Gallacher was out in 31 with birdies at the fourth, sixth and seventh. He came back in one-over with bogeys at the 12th and 16th sandwiching a solitary inward birdie at the 13th.
Lawrie ruined his day with a double bogey 6 at the 18th.  
Colin Montgomerie toiled to a 74 but much worse was an 84 - 14 over par - by Scott Jamieson. 

 

FIRST-ROUND LEADERS

Par 70. Yardage 6,699

Hong Kong Golf Club 

64 Javi COLOMO (ESP).

65 Miguel Angel JIMENEZ (ESP), Andrew DODT (AUS).

66 ZHANG Lian-wei (CHN), Jose Maria OLAZABAL (ESP), Fredrik ANDERSSON HED (SWE), Y.E. YANG (KOR), Lorenzo GAGLI (ITA).

67 Michael CAMPBELL (NZL), Joel SJOHOLM (SWE), Gregory BOURDY (FRA), Mardan MAMAT (SIN), Marcus FRASER (AUS), Matteo MANASSERO (ITA), Simon KHAN (ENG), David HORSEY (ENG).

68 Kwanchai Tannin (Thai), Gary Boyd (Eng), Scott Hend (Aus), Peter Lawrie (Ire), David Howell (Eng), Julien Quesne (Fra), Stephen Gallacher (Sco), Jyoti Randhawa (India) (T17)
69 Lee Slattery (Eng), Paul Lawrie (Sco), Matt Kuchar (US), Pablo Larfrazabal (Spa), Anders Hansen (Den), Darren Beck (Aus), Matthew Zions (Aus) (T27)

Selected scores

70 Paul Casey (Eng) (T40)
71 Padraig Harrington (Ire) (T54)

73 Rory McIlroy (NIre), Tom Lewis (Eng) (T93).
74 Colin Montgomerie (Sco) (T107)
79 Ross Bain (Sco) (T113)
84 Andrew McGregor (Sco) (142nd)
85 Scott Jamieson (Sco) (last of 144)