McIlroy ahead with five others at Korea Open
Source: Agencies |
October 8, 2011, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WORLD No. 3 Rory McIlroy remained in the hunt to win his first title since the US Open triumph in June as he took a share of the five-way lead at the halfway stage of the Korea Open near Seoul yesterday.
The mop-haired Northern Irishman was tied for a three-shot lead with South Korea's defending champion Yang Yong-eun, his compatriot Mo Joong-kyung, Australia's Bronson La'Cassie and American Rickie Fowler after the second round.
McIlroy, who finished third at the tournament in 2009, followed up his opening-round 68 with a 2-under 69 at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.
McIlroy, who followed back-to-back third-place finishes at the European Masters and Dutch Open with a runner-up spot at last week's Dunhill Links Championship, believes he is well poised to end the wait.
"It was a good round. I felt it could have been lower, but I played solid golf and holed some nice putts," the 22-year old said after hitting five birdies and three bogeys in the day.
Korean Mo set the course on fire with five birdies and an eagle for a 5-under 66 that gave him a share of the overnight lead at a two-day total of 137.
Yang, the first Asian born man to win a major at the 2009 US PGA Championship, carded a round of 1-under 70 to remain in the hunt for a third Korea Open title.
In San Martin, California, PGA Tour rookie Brendan Steele and fellow Americans Briny Baird, Garrett Willis and Matt Bettencourt stole the limelight from Tiger Woods by charging into a tie for the Frys.com Open lead on Thursday.
While Woods struggled on the greens in mainly wet and cold conditions at CordeValle Golf Club in his first tournament appearance in almost two months, Steele and company fired 4-under-par 67s to set the first-round pace.
Steele, 28, who clinched his maiden PGA Tour title at the Texas Open in April, covered the back nine in a sizzling 5-under 31 to join Baird, Willis and Bettencourt at the top of the leaderboard on a saturated course playing ultra-long.
Former world No. 1 Woods, who has not competed since he missed the cut at the PGA Championship in August, struggled badly with his putting on the way to an erratic 73.
"That's probably one of the worst putting rounds I've ever had," he said after totalling 27 putts and reaching just nine greens in regulation.
The mop-haired Northern Irishman was tied for a three-shot lead with South Korea's defending champion Yang Yong-eun, his compatriot Mo Joong-kyung, Australia's Bronson La'Cassie and American Rickie Fowler after the second round.
McIlroy, who finished third at the tournament in 2009, followed up his opening-round 68 with a 2-under 69 at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.
McIlroy, who followed back-to-back third-place finishes at the European Masters and Dutch Open with a runner-up spot at last week's Dunhill Links Championship, believes he is well poised to end the wait.
"It was a good round. I felt it could have been lower, but I played solid golf and holed some nice putts," the 22-year old said after hitting five birdies and three bogeys in the day.
Korean Mo set the course on fire with five birdies and an eagle for a 5-under 66 that gave him a share of the overnight lead at a two-day total of 137.
Yang, the first Asian born man to win a major at the 2009 US PGA Championship, carded a round of 1-under 70 to remain in the hunt for a third Korea Open title.
In San Martin, California, PGA Tour rookie Brendan Steele and fellow Americans Briny Baird, Garrett Willis and Matt Bettencourt stole the limelight from Tiger Woods by charging into a tie for the Frys.com Open lead on Thursday.
While Woods struggled on the greens in mainly wet and cold conditions at CordeValle Golf Club in his first tournament appearance in almost two months, Steele and company fired 4-under-par 67s to set the first-round pace.
Steele, 28, who clinched his maiden PGA Tour title at the Texas Open in April, covered the back nine in a sizzling 5-under 31 to join Baird, Willis and Bettencourt at the top of the leaderboard on a saturated course playing ultra-long.
Former world No. 1 Woods, who has not competed since he missed the cut at the PGA Championship in August, struggled badly with his putting on the way to an erratic 73.
"That's probably one of the worst putting rounds I've ever had," he said after totalling 27 putts and reaching just nine greens in regulation.
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