China lead after Donfeng foursome
SHANGHAI, Dec 1, (AFP): Team China claimed a 7-5 lead over the Asia-Pacific at the Dongfeng Nissan Cup on Saturday after sharing the honours in the foursomes round of the OneAsia team golf tournament in Shenzhen.
China took the lead after winning the fourball round 4-2 on Friday and tying Saturday’s foursomes 3-3, ahead of the final round of 12 singles matches Sunday.
“It could have been much better,” said Asia-Pacific team captain Peter Thomson, the legendary Australian five-time Open Championship winner.
“At least we didn’t lose any ground, and there is a lot to play for tomorrow. It should be a great day.”
The visitors led in all six matches at one point, but unforced errors rather than a Team China fightback allowed the home team to get some red on the scoreboard.
Rory Hie and Choo Tze Huang were the worst culprits. Three up at 12, they were beaten one-up by China’s Zhang Lianwei and Yuan Hao after scoring two double bogeys and a bogey in the home stretch.
Andre Stolz and Michael Long will also be looking to make amends in Sunday’s singles. After leading by two at the eighth, they lost seven in-a-row to Zhang Xinjun and Wu Kangchun to go down 5 and 3.
“I never thought our players could come back,” said China vice-captain Cheng Jun. “After the first nine holes all the live scores were blue — but they did it.”
Asia-Pacific vice-captain Scott Laycock, who partnered Mark Brown to a 3 and 2 victory against Wu Weihuang and Zhou Guowu, said he expected a close result.
“None of us like to lose — I hate losing — and this is the message we will be thinking about tonight,” he said. “It isn’t over by a long shot.” The Asia-Pacific side triumphed 12-1/2 to 11-1/2 on a gripping final day of singles in the inaugural OneAsia event last year after the teams were level 3-3 following the fourball matches and 6-6 following the foursomes. Cup team again, only he concedes his game wasn’t there and he earned only one point.
McDowell always feels relaxed at Sherwood Country Club, with an 18-man field and no cut and the finish line clearly in his sights. Suddenly, though, he has something at stake. The World Challenge doesn’t belong to any tour. It offers world ranking points, though he isn’t in dire need of them. But there’s a trophy, and McDowell hasn’t hoisted one of those since that birdie-birdie finish to beat Woods in a playoff at Sherwood in 2010.
“I would love to compete and play well this weekend, really to kind of put a little icing on what’s been a mediocre year,” McDowell said. “Despite the fact that I feel like I’ve played some decent golf this year, I really don’t have a lot to show for myself, and this would be a nice way to finish.”
McDowell was at 9-under 135.
Even though McDowell’s win at Sherwood in 2010 capped a dream season — his US Open title, the clinching point at the Ryder Cup — it was a runner-up finish in 2009 that set up all those spoils. He was a last-minute replacement for Woods, who didn’t play as his personal life unraveled, and McDowell finished second. It was the first year the tournament received ranking points, and McDowell earned enough to get into the Masters and eventually the US Open at Pebble Beach, which he won.
That US Open title assured him being in the Ryder Cup, where he holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole that carried Europe to a big win.
“Sometimes the align,” he said.
His 66 gave him a cushion going into the weekend, but light rain overnight and for much of the day made the course soft and vulnerable. McDowell said the greens could only be rolled, not cut, making them substantially slower. That attributed to so many good scores, with half of the field in the 60s.
McDowell believes there’s a 63 or 64 out there for someone, especially in these conditions, so his three-shot lead doesn’t seem like much only halfway through the event.
Woods fired at flag around the turn, picking up easy birdie putts on the ninth and 10th, handling the par 5s without difficulty and getting to the top of the leaderboard.
stars Nick Catlin of England (right) fights with Birendra Lakra of India (left) for the ball during their pool B match at the Men’s
Hockey Champions Trophy in Melbourne on Dec 1. India won the match 3-1. (AFP) Spanish rookie Javi Colomo signed for a 65 to share fourth place with Thailand’s Arnond Vongvanij, Piya Swangarunporn and defending champion Udorn Duangdecha on 202.
It was the battle of the 45-year-olds as Mardan and Thaworn hogged the limelight.
Mardan knew that he had to remain calm after he could only manage to make the turn in one-under.
“I tried to be patient in my frontnine and then I started off well with two birdies in my back-nine. That gave me lots of confidence,” said Mardan.
The Singaporean is well aware of Thaworn’s title credentials.
“It’s going to be tough to beat this old guy here. So if you can get a onestroke advantage, you got to take it because he can shoot a low number anytime,” added Mardan.
Trailing overnight leader Supakorn Utaipat of Thailand by four shots, Thaworn showed that he can never be written off as he continued his charge for his fourth Asian Tour win this season as well as the Order of Merit title which he first won in 2005.
“It will be a close fight till the end but I’m feeling confident. I’ve been in this position many times and I know how to handle the pressure,” said Thaworn.
The King’s Cup is making its return after a year’s absence following the floods in Thailand last year.
Leading scores after round three (par 72):
199 — Mardan Mamat (SIN) 6370-66
200 — Thaworn (THA) 69-66-65
201 — Pariya Junhasavasdikul (THA) 66-69-66
202 — Javi Colmo (ESP) 65-7265, Arnond Vongvanij (THA) 65-7067, Piya Swangarunporn (THA) 7065-67, Udorn Duangdecha ( THA) 65-68-69
203 — Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 67-68-68, Wade Ormsby (AUS) 71-63-69, Lin Wen-tang (TPE) 66-68-69
204 — Thammanoon Sriroj (THA) 70-66-68, Prom Meesawat ( THA) 65-69-70, Elmer Salvador (PHI) 6866-70
Wiratchang