Four-way lead in Perth International
PERTH: American golfers Dustin Johnson and Bo van Pelt were just off the pace behind a leading quartet in the $2m Perth International at the Lake Karrinyup course yesterday.
Australian duo Clint Rice and James Nitties led after the opening round at four-under 68, along with South Korean Jin Jeong and Sweden’s Peter Hedblom.
World number 21 Johnson shot a three-under 69 with van Pelt one stroke further adrift.
England’s 12-time European Tour winner Paul Casey (four-over) and rising South African star Branden Grace (one-over) had days to forget.
Australians Nick O’Hern, Brady Watt, Nick Cullen and Dimitrios Papadatos were among a large group of players at three-under. The Perth International is the nation’s only event to be co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia this season. REUTERS
BERMUDA: Masters champion Adam Scott stormed back from four shots behind with 10 holes remaining to clinch the four-man PGA Grand Slam of Golf by two strokes with a scintillating finish in Bermuda yesterday.
The Australian, who had trailed by three after the opening round, eagled the par-five 17th to forge two ahead of overnight leader Justin Rose, then parred the last for a course record seven-under-par 64.
Scott covered the last six holes in a sizzling four-under to post an eight-under total of 134 at the Port Royal Golf Course in the elite 36-hole event which brings together the winners of the year’s four majors.
“Obviously I’m thrilled to come out on top,” Scott told reporters after setting up his win at the 17th with a brilliant six-iron from 190 yards that finished a few inches from the cup for a tap-in eagle.
“Fun, but a trying couple of days here really, especially today. It felt like a long round out there but I was happy with the score. Standing on the 11th tee, didn’t look like a score like that was going to be possible.
“But I played very well and managed to slowly claw away at Justin. After he made bogey on 16, I managed to capitalise on that by hitting such a great shot into 17.”
Scott had covered the front nine in three-under 33, then birdied the 13th and 15th before seizing the outright lead with his eagle three at the 17th.
Current US Open champion Rose, who had been four ahead after making four consecutive birdies from the fourth, faded with bogeys on two of the last 10 holes on the way to a 69 and second place at six under.
“I started with a two-shot lead and somebody had to shoot well to beat me,” said Englishman Rose, who had been two ahead of American Jason Dufner overnight after opening with a 67.
“When you’re in that position you want to close it out, but when somebody finishes it out like that, you have to tip your hat and say, you were beaten rather than losing.” REUTERS
McIlroy has tough day at Korea Open
SEOUL: Former world number one Rory McIlroy rallied for a sub-par 70 after a difficult start at the Kolon Korea Open yesterday to sit in a disappointing tie for 12th.
The two-time major winner is the star attraction at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club where the $1m One Asia Tour event is the Northern Irishman’s first taste of competitive golf after a month-long break.
McIlroy, who lies in lowly 60th position on the European Tour standings, was two-over par with five holes to play before bouncing back with three birdies to complete a first-round score of one-under.
The 24-year-old world number six exchanged a bogey with a birdie on the front nine before coming away with a double bogey on the par-3 13th after finding water off the tee. After his round, McIlroy admitted he felt “a little rusty” after four weeks off and had to battle to finish under par for the day.
“I just wasn’t very comfortable with the tee shot,” he said. “I took a long time to get settled over it and then just didn’t make a very good swing.”
He added: “It was tough, some of the pin positions out there today were brutal, just cut on slopes and very hard to get close to them. And when you did get close to them, you left yourself very tricky putts.”
The 2011 US Open champion and 2012 PGA winner is in a seven-way tie, three shots off the leader -- South Korean veteran Jang Ik-Jae.
Jang fired the only bogey-free round of the day to shoot a 67 and holds a one-stroke lead going into today’s second round.
It included a spectacular eagle on the par-4 10th, when he found the bottom of the cup with a 9-iron from 155 metres (170 yards) away.
Jang led the 2005 Korea Open through three rounds but shot a 76 on the final day to drop to a tie for 14th. A two-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, Jang is seeking his first victory on native soil since 2005. REUTERS
