Ryan out-foxed to miss cut in Italy
New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox has missed the cut at the Italian Open by five strokes after shooting a two-overpar 73 in the second round yesterday,
The Aucklander had a solitary birdie and three back-nine bogeys at the European PGA Tour event at Golf Club Milano to finish with a total of oneover 143, 14 strokes off the lead and five shots adrift of the cut-line at fourunder.
The 30-year-old birdied the par-five ninth but dropped shots at the parthree 10th and 12th holes and another at the par-four 17th.
A day earlier, Fox was penalised two shots after a spectator picked up his ball on the eighth hole as he signed for a one-under 70 instead of a threeunder 68.
Meanwhile, New Zealand golfer Danny Lee surged into contention with the equal-low round of the day at the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.
Lee carded a seven-under 65 on a stormy day to move up 52 places into a tie for eighth at six-under, seven strokes back of leader American Pat Perez, who also posted a 65.
The 27-year-old Kiwi, who the second round on the 10th started hole at one-over, posted an eagle, seven birdies and two bogeys at the TPC Kuala Lumpur - West Course.
Lee’s round got off to a shaky start, with bogeys at the 10th and 13th holes, sandwiching
11th.
He got hot to close out the backnine, with birdies at the 16th, 17th and 18th holes, then picked up five strokes a birdie at the par-three in the last six holes of surge into the top-10.
Lee had missed the cut four times and withdrawn once in his last five tournaments but still managed to finish 70th in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
His best finish on the PGA Tour in 2017 was a tie for third at the Travelers Championship in June and posted three other top-10 finishes. He finished in a tie for 51st in Kuala Lumpur last year, shooting 66 and 69 over the weekend.
Elsewhere, Lydia Ko fell down the leaderboard at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship after a one-over round on Friday.
Ko posted two birdies and three bogeys in her round of 73 to slip from a tie for ninth to a tie for 25th in her native South Korea, sitting eight strokes behind leader American Angel Yin.
The 20-year-old got to five-under for the tournament with a birdie at the par-five seventh hole but hit a funk on the back nine, with bogeys on the 11th, 12th and 15th holes before a birdie on the 17th. Ko carded a four-under 68 in the first round, which included six birdies and two bogeys.
- Stuff, AP his round to