Six tied for lead in Dubai
Source: Agencies |
February 5, 2010, Friday
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Print Edition
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RORY McIlroy of Northern Ireland opened the defense of his Dubai Desert Classic title by shooting a four-under 68 yesterday to share a six-way lead.
McIlroy said, "It was a good day's work and I will be in good spirits going into the second round."
Also shooting a 68 at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, were Alexander Noren of Sweden, Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, India's Jeev Milkha Singh, Italian Edoardo Molinari and Stephen Dodd of Wales.
Noren and Schwartzel played in the morning when a sandstorm was blowing in from over the nearby desert.
"These were the toughest conditions I have ever seen at the Emirates," Schwartzel said. "It was not just the wind blowing, but the lack of visibility caused by the sand in it. It was very hard to pick out a target to aim at when everything was so blurry like that."
Schwartzel was named the European Tour's player of the month for January yesterday, after back-to-back victories at the Africa Open and Johannesburg Open.
Tom Watson shot a 73 at his first tournament in Dubai, saying "I missed two or three very short putts in my opening holes."
In Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand shot a four-under 68 yesterday to share the lead with Jason Knutzon of the United States and Brazil's Lucas Lee after the first round of the Asian Tour International.
The 21-year-old Kiradech made five birdies against a bogey on the last hole at the Suwan Golf Country Club.
"I'm very happy. I hit many wedges into the greens and got four birdies from close range," said Kiradech, who is entering his second year on the tour and is looking for his first title. "This is my chance to win. I'll try to keep it up as it's my goal to win on the Asian Tour."
The 44-year-old Knutzon had been struggling with a fever this week, but also mixed five birdies with a bogey. "Luckily it was pretty cool this morning, which helped," Knutzon said. "Any time you shoot under par, it should make you feel a bit better."
Lee had a bogey on the 17th before recovering with a birdie on the last for a share of the lead. "I hit a lot of greens and made the putts I needed to make today. I wasn't hitting a lot of fairways," Lee said.
Mars Pucay of the Philippines made a hole-in-one on the third hole en route to a 69 and was tied for fourth place with seven other players in the season-opening Asian Tour event.
McIlroy said, "It was a good day's work and I will be in good spirits going into the second round."
Also shooting a 68 at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, were Alexander Noren of Sweden, Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, India's Jeev Milkha Singh, Italian Edoardo Molinari and Stephen Dodd of Wales.
Noren and Schwartzel played in the morning when a sandstorm was blowing in from over the nearby desert.
"These were the toughest conditions I have ever seen at the Emirates," Schwartzel said. "It was not just the wind blowing, but the lack of visibility caused by the sand in it. It was very hard to pick out a target to aim at when everything was so blurry like that."
Schwartzel was named the European Tour's player of the month for January yesterday, after back-to-back victories at the Africa Open and Johannesburg Open.
Tom Watson shot a 73 at his first tournament in Dubai, saying "I missed two or three very short putts in my opening holes."
In Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand shot a four-under 68 yesterday to share the lead with Jason Knutzon of the United States and Brazil's Lucas Lee after the first round of the Asian Tour International.
The 21-year-old Kiradech made five birdies against a bogey on the last hole at the Suwan Golf Country Club.
"I'm very happy. I hit many wedges into the greens and got four birdies from close range," said Kiradech, who is entering his second year on the tour and is looking for his first title. "This is my chance to win. I'll try to keep it up as it's my goal to win on the Asian Tour."
The 44-year-old Knutzon had been struggling with a fever this week, but also mixed five birdies with a bogey. "Luckily it was pretty cool this morning, which helped," Knutzon said. "Any time you shoot under par, it should make you feel a bit better."
Lee had a bogey on the 17th before recovering with a birdie on the last for a share of the lead. "I hit a lot of greens and made the putts I needed to make today. I wasn't hitting a lot of fairways," Lee said.
Mars Pucay of the Philippines made a hole-in-one on the third hole en route to a 69 and was tied for fourth place with seven other players in the season-opening Asian Tour event.
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