Kapur, Park lead as stars crash out
Saturday, March 1, 2008
INDIAN hero Shiv Kapur and Australia's Unho Park shared the Johnnie Walker Classic lead yesterday as top European stars crashed out of contention.
Kapur carded seven-under-par 65, including an eagle at the par-five sixth, to pull level with Park who shot 66 earlier for a two-day score of 10-under-par 134.
India's Jyoti Randhawa and Taichiro Kiyota of Japan were one off the pace while world No 5 Adam Scott was one of four players two back in the US$2.5 million ($3.4 million) showpiece.
Triple major winner Vijay Singh was still in touch at six-under 138 but Scottish heavyweight Colin Montgomerie returned a two-day score of 150 to miss the cut by a mile.
Montgomerie, currently ranked 54, now faces a scramble to reach the top 50 and qualify for the US Masters, which starts on April 10.
Flamboyant Englishman Ian Poulter also missed out despite recovering from his opening round of 76 with a much-improved 68 at the par-72 DLF Golf and Country Club.
Kapur, who has been struggling with flu, carded five birdies along with his eagle in a spotless round which stoked local hopes after S S P Chowrasia's shock Indian Masters win last month.
Fellow leader Park, who missed the cut at last week's SAIL Open and is ranked 513, said his game had suddenly improved after watching Singh practice. "I spent some time on the greens and watched Vijay for a while, and changed a few things and it just worked," he said.
Scott carded his second consecutive four-under-par 68 to lie tied fifth with Jose Manuel Lara, Graeme Storm and Phillip Archer, whose 64 was the best round of the tournament so far.
The Australian superstar shrugged off a sleepy start and an early bogey to post five birdies, including a crowd-pleasing wedge to within two feet of the ninth hole, his last.
AFP
Kapur carded seven-under-par 65, including an eagle at the par-five sixth, to pull level with Park who shot 66 earlier for a two-day score of 10-under-par 134.
India's Jyoti Randhawa and Taichiro Kiyota of Japan were one off the pace while world No 5 Adam Scott was one of four players two back in the US$2.5 million ($3.4 million) showpiece.
Triple major winner Vijay Singh was still in touch at six-under 138 but Scottish heavyweight Colin Montgomerie returned a two-day score of 150 to miss the cut by a mile.
Montgomerie, currently ranked 54, now faces a scramble to reach the top 50 and qualify for the US Masters, which starts on April 10.
Flamboyant Englishman Ian Poulter also missed out despite recovering from his opening round of 76 with a much-improved 68 at the par-72 DLF Golf and Country Club.
Kapur, who has been struggling with flu, carded five birdies along with his eagle in a spotless round which stoked local hopes after S S P Chowrasia's shock Indian Masters win last month.
Fellow leader Park, who missed the cut at last week's SAIL Open and is ranked 513, said his game had suddenly improved after watching Singh practice. "I spent some time on the greens and watched Vijay for a while, and changed a few things and it just worked," he said.
Scott carded his second consecutive four-under-par 68 to lie tied fifth with Jose Manuel Lara, Graeme Storm and Phillip Archer, whose 64 was the best round of the tournament so far.
The Australian superstar shrugged off a sleepy start and an early bogey to post five birdies, including a crowd-pleasing wedge to within two feet of the ninth hole, his last.
AFP
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