SHANGHAI, 31 Oct, 2014 (AFP) - Colsaerts used his booming length to great effect, grabbing four of the nine birdies on his card at each of the par-fives on the 7,607-yard rain-softened Lake Malaren layout.
Colsaerts leads by one to France's long-hitter Alexander Levy with compatriot Romain Wattel -- no slouch off the tee himself -- a further shot back.
The 2012 Ryder Cup winner has enjoyed a resurgence in form of late, shooting a rare round of 60 at the Portugal Masters three weeks ago.
And only last month he destroyed the European Tour's all-time long-driving record with a monstrous 447-yard blast at Celtic Manor at the Wales Open.
Colsaerts also blasted three birdies and an eagle on the par fives in his opening round 66 on Thursday. He acknowledged that the soft course and heavy conditions were playing into the hands of the men with the big guns off the tee.
"We spoke about this yesterday," Colsaerts told AFP after his round. "Some guys in the mornings had four-irons into the 10th and I hit a gap wedge.
"I think the condition of the golf course and the way the air is here makes a big difference. It will definitely suit long hitters without a doubt."
Ryder Cup star and 2013 US open winner Justin Rose enjoyed one of the rounds of the day with a seven-under 65, but finds himself seven off the lead going into the weekend.
"Put it this way, I don't think Nicolas is going to come back to us," he said. "I think I need another two low rounds to have a chance to win."
One of the few shorter men off the tee to stand tall on the leaderboard was Northern Ireland's 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell.
He is six back from Colsaerts after a three-under 69 left him decently placed at eight-under for the tournament.
"There's a not a lot of short hitters on the leaderboard," agreed McDowell. "Colsaerts moves it. Levy moves it. Wattel moves it.
"But there's more to it than that. The soft conditions mean any iron is going to stop coming into these surfaces.
"So I feel I can compete this weekend even with the long guys. I'm right where I want to be and can give myself a chance come Sunday."
Another European Ryder Cup stalwart, Thomas Bjorn, fought back from four over par for the day after just three holes to record a five-under par 67.
The Dane missed a short par putt on the first and then took a disastrous triple-bogey eight at the third.
But he repaired the damage in commanding style with five consecutive birdies from the seventh hole and nine in all.
"You have days like that when, all of a sudden, it starts going your way. I'd like to play the first three again," Bjorn said.
Leading scores on Friday after the second round of the European Tour’s $7 million BMW Masters at Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai (par 72):
130 - Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 66-64
131 - Alexander Levy (FRA) 65-66
133 - Romain Wattel (FRA) 66-67
134 - Marcel Siem (GER) 68-66, Branden Grace (RSA) 68-66, Emiliano Grillo (ARG) 66-68
135 - Thomas Bjorn (DEN) 68-67
136 - Shane Lowry (IRL) 70-66, Graeme McDowell (NIR) 67-69, Jamie Donaldson (WAL) 68-68, Mikko Ilonen (FIN) 70-66
137 - Ross Fisher (ENG) 70-67, Ryan Palmer (USA) 70-67, Darren Fichardt (RSA) 69-68, Ernie Els (RSA) 69-68, Justin Rose (ENG) 72-65.
138 - George Coetzee (RSA) 71-67, Michael Hoey (NIR) 70-68, Ouyang Zheng (CHN) 72-66, Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR) 70-68, Richie Ramsay (SCO) 70-68, Richard Sterne (RSA) 68-70
Selected others:
140 - Victor Dubuisson (FRA) 70-70
141 - Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 71-70
143 - Ian Poulter (ENG) 74-69
EurAsia Cup heroes eye TGC crown
The in-form duo of Anirban Lahiri and Koumei Oda have set their sights on victory at the fourth edition of the Thailand Golf Championship, which will be played December 11-14 at Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi.
BANGKOK, 29 Oct, 2014 (HK Golfer News Wire) - Lahiri, who captured last week’s Venetian Macau Open in dramatic fashion, has climbed to number 69 in the Official World Golf Ranking and currently lies in second place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, a shade under US$155,000 behind David Lipsky of the United States.
A strong performance at the Thailand Golf Championship would aid the 27-year-old Indian ace, who starred for Asia at the inaugural EurAsia Cup early in the year, in achieving two of his season’s goals – namely, win the money list and break into the world’s top 50 players for the first time.
“The Thailand Golf Championship is such a big event, there’s so much at stake,” said Lahiri, who has now racked up five Asian Tour wins. “The world ranking points on offer at Amata Spring are crucial, so to have a big week there would be great for my career and would definitely help me achieve my goals for the year.”
Lahiri finished in a tie for fourth behind winner Sergio Garcia at the 2013 instalment of the event but will face strong opposition in his quest to finish three spots higher this time around.
Garcia has confirmed he will return to defend his title and will be joined by Ryder Cup teammates Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood and Victor Dubuisson. Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, South African legend Ernie Els and 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke are also included in the star-studded field.
“The Thailand Golf Championship was one of my best events last year,” added Lahiri. “I played with Sergio [Garcia] and Henrik Stenson in the final round and it was a really great week. It’s one of those weeks I really look forward to each year.”
Oda, who held off the challenge of Hiroyuki Fujita to win the Japan Golf Tour’s Bridgestone Open last weekend, will be making his debut at the Thailand Golf Championship.
But after two wins this season, as well as a confidence-boosting performance at the EurAsia Cup in Malaysia, the 36-year-old, who boosted his world ranking to 55 after that Bridgestone win, is bullish about his chances.
“I don’t get to play that often in Southeast Asia but I’m excited about the challenge of playing in Thailand, said Oda, who will line up alongside fellow Japan Golf Tour highflier and EurAsia Cup partner Kim Hyung-sung of Korea at Amata Spring. “I’ve been swinging the club really of late and I love the look of the course. There are a great many stars to beat, but I’m feeling very good about my chances.”
Thailand will be well represented in the elite field by local heroes Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat, but it is the form of their compatriot Prom Meesawat that has many Thai golf fans dreaming of a first home winner.
Meesawat, nicknamed the ‘Big Dolphin’ due to his burly physique, finished in a tie for second behind Lahiri in Macau last week to lift the 30-year-old into fourth in the Order of Merit race.
“The Thailand Golf Championship is my home event, so it’s one of my most important of the year,” said Meesawat, who secured his first win on the Asian Tour in eight years when he emerged victorious at the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship in September. “To win it at Amata Spring would be the best moment of my career to date.”
Donaldson rides luck in Shanghai
08:57 GMT | 540 words
by Daniel HICKS
European Ryder Cup stars Justin Rose and Jamie Donaldson both endured an up-and-down day as the BMW Masters got under way in Shanghai on Thursday.
SHANGHAI, 30 Oct, 2014 (AFP) - Donaldson shot a four-under par round of 68 to lie just three off the lead, despite a double-bogey seven at the third and the unlikeliest of birdies at the sixth.
Rose ended on level par after a disastrous start that left him four over after just four holes.
Beginning at the 10th Rose was already one-over par when he found water twice en route to a triple-bogey eight at the par-five 13th.
"I hit a great three-iron right at the flag. In the air it looked like eagle and it came up a yard short," he told AFP afterwards.
"I drop another ball, hit the exact same golf shot from 15 yards further up looking at saving par and same happens again."
The 2013 US Open champion fought back gamely with five birdies and just one more bogey on his card to finish the day at level par.
"I didn't hit a bad golf shot and made an eight. I was one swing away from shooting four-under," Rose said.
Donaldson was sure his tee shot had found the water guarding the front of the green at the par-three 202-yard sixth.
But the ball had somehow stuck in the thick rough on a steep bank just inches from the hazard and he then gratefully holed the 35-foot chip for a birdie to get to four-under.
"I never thought it was going to get over. I absolutely, totally, mishit it," the Welshman admitted.
"I was a bit embarrassed when the chip went in for a birdie."
There was steady rain all day at Lake Malaren, making the long course even tougher.
But young Frenchman Alexander Levy made light of conditions and showed his liking for golf in China to lead by one stroke from three players with a seven-under par round of 65.
Unlike Rose, the 24-year-old Levy who won the China Open in Shenzhen earlier this year, got off to a blistering start after starting at the 10th with four straight birdies.
He picked up further shots on the 17th, the second and ninth holes in a flawless round.
"I think today I missed only one fairway and that was the key," said Levy.
Ryder Cup star Graeme McDowell enjoyed a fine bogey-free opening round of 67 to be two off the lead.
"Very happy with that," McDowell said. "It's playing long with the rain so I had to be precise with my iron play and putt well, which I did."
Chinese 19-year-old sensation Li Haotong, who won the OneAsia Tour's Nanshan China Masters earlier this month, continued his great form with a three-under par 69 in elite company for a share of 12th place.
Eduardo Molinari claimed the first hole-in-one of the tournament when the Italian found the cup on the 212-yard fourth hole.
Unfortunately a shiny new BMW i8 sports car was the prize for an ace at the 17th and he had to make do with a radio-controlled model from the sponsors and a magnum of champagne.
"Now I have the little car, I want to win the big one," he said.
Leading scores on Thursday after the first round of the European Tour's $7 million BMW Masters at Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai (par 72):
65 - Alexander Levy (FRA)
66 - Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL), Emiliano Grillo (ARG), Romain Wattel (FRA)
67 - Graeme McDowell (NIR)
68 - Marcel Siem (GER), Oliver Wilson (ENG), Thomas Bjorn (DEN), Branden Grace (RSA), Richard Sterne (RSA), Jamie Donaldson (WAL)
69 - Morten Orum Madsen (DEN), Robert Karlsson (SWE), Li Haotong (CHN), Darren Fichardt (RSA), Hu Mu (CHN), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Ernie Els (RSA)
Selected others:
70 - Victor Dubuisson (FRA)
72 - Stephen Gallacher (SCO), Justin Rose (ENG)
74 - Ian Poulter (ENG)
77 - Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP)
Karlberg takes early CIMB Classic lead
09:33 GMT | 473 words
Sweden's Rikard Karlberg sunk seven birdies for a seven-under-par 65 to take a two-stroke lead in the first-round of the CIMB Classic in Malaysia, while Spanish star Sergio Garcia lurked four shots back.
KUALA LUMPUR, 30 Oct, 2014 (AFP) - American defending champion Ryan Moore turned in six birdies of his own to lead a pack of golfers just three strokes off Karlberg's pace on 68.
The Swede, who has struggled this year to overcome a stubborn viral infection and said he "almost stopped enjoying the game", credited his strong start to a decision to just shake off the negative feelings and relax.
"I just went out there and tried to be as relaxed as possible and just have fun," he said.
Karlberg had five birdies on the front nine at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club and cemented his lead with two more on the final two holes.
World number four Sergio Garcia, the highest-ranked golfer in the field, was in striking distance after entering the clubhouse with a three-under 69.
Garcia, 34, started brightly, notching four birdies over his opening nine, but could manage no more the rest of the way and suffered a bogey down the homestretch.
But the Spaniard, who has seen a revival in his play this year including a January Qatar Masters win and runner-up showing to world number one Rory McIlroy in the Open Championship, was pleased.
"I felt like I played quite well. Obviously I didn’t hole a lot of putts. I hit some really good putts that I had quite a lot of lip-outs, but other than that, it felt good," he said.
Patrick Reed, a bright spot for the USA in its latest recent Ryder Cup loss to Europe, was among several entrants who finished the day at two-under after shooting a 70.
England's Lee Westwood, who won on the same course in the Malaysian Open in April, had an up-and-down day to finish at even par, tied with a group of golfers including this past season's FedExCup champion Billy Horschel.
Westwood, a former world number one, turned in a card featuring two birdies and an eagle three on the par-five fifth, but also two bogeys, and a double bogey on the par-four 16th.
"I struggled with the speed of the greens more than anything, but made a nice eagle at five, which got me back to level par. So not too much damage done," he said.
Co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and Asian Tour, the CIMB Classic offers the winner $1.26 million and 500 FedExCup points.
Last year's winner, Ryan Moore of the United States, is back to defend, as compatriot Jason Dufner continues his comeback.
Jason Dufner, the American 2013 PGA Champion, who returned to competitive play last week in Australia after nearly three months off due to a neck injury, could muster only a two-over 74.
Leading first-round scores Thursday in the $7 million CIMB Classic at the par-72 Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club:
65 – Rikard Karlberg (SWE)
67 – Billy Hurley III (USA), Brian Stuard (USA), Angelo Que (PHI)
68 – Tim Wilkinson (NZL), Ryan Moore (USA), Kevin Streelman (USA), Davis Love III (USA), Noh Seung-yul (KOR), Jeff Overton (USA), Prom Meesawat (THA), David Lingmerth (SWE)
69 – Ryo Ishikawa (JPN), Scott Stallings (USA), Sergio Garcia (ESP), Kevin NA (USA), Jonas Blixt (SWE), Danny Lee (NZL), Matt Every (USA), Will Mackenzie (USA), Kevin Chappell (USA), Nicholas Thompson (USA)
Selected others:
70 - Patrick Reed (USA), Hideki Matsuyama (JPN)
72 - Lee Westwood (ENG), Billy Horschel (USA)
74 - Jason Dufner (USA)
Feng, Park tied for lead at Taiwan LPGA
11:40 GMT | 303 words
China's Feng Shanshan and South Korean Park In-bee each fired an eight-under-par 64 to share the lead after the opening round of the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship in Taipei on Thursday.
TAIPEI, 30 Oct, 2014 (AFP) - Park, who took over the top spot in the Rolex Rankings earlier this week, hit all 14 fairways and needed only 26 putts to complete her round with eight birdies for the $2 million tournament at the par-72 Miramar Golf Country Club.
"I hit the ball really solid all day, and on the back nine, everything seemed to drop," Park said. "I can't remember the last time I putted like this. It’s been a really good putting day, so I’m really happy about that."
Feng also played a bogey-free round, scoring six birdies and an eagle to hold a two-shot advantage over a group of four players.
"I started the round, kind of like a smooth start. And then made a birdie and then I made an eagle on the sixth hole, which really got it started. Then after that, I was just making putts and my iron game was just as good as normal," she said.
Taiwanese amateur Cheng Ssu-chia had an impressive start to tie in the third place with South Korean Ryu So-Yeon, Denmark's Line Vedel and Japan's Haru Nomura with six-under-par 66.
The 17-year-old stayed ahead other Taiwanese players competing in the tournament, including former world number one Tseng Yani, who tied in the 15th place after carding a 69.
"The score I shot today is much better than I expected. I think it’s mostly because I tried not to over-think too much," said Cheng, who scored six birdies, including three on the last four holes, in a bogey-free round.
Defending champion Suzann Pettersen of Norway posted a 70 to tie in 21st place with 13 players.
Leading scores after round 1 of the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship in Taipei on Thursday.
64 - Feng Shanshan (CHN), Park In-bee (KOR)
66 - Nomura Haru (JPN), Cheng Ssu-Chia (TPE), Ryu So-Yeon (KOR), Vedel Line (DNK)
67 - Ji Eun-Hee (KOR), Kim I.K. (KOR), Stacy Lewis (USA)
68 - Choi Na-Yeon (KOR), Laura Diaz (USA), Lee Mi-Hyang (KOR), Azahara Munoz (ESP), Michelle Wie (USA)
69 - Pernilla Lindberg (SWE), Moriya Jutanugarn (THA), Candie Kung (TPE), Lee Ilhee (KOR), Lydia Ko (NZL), Tseng Yani (TPE)