Turner Trails Song and Spieth in Singapore

Niall Turner finished his second round at the SMBC Singapore Open signing for a level par round on Friday to hold  a share of 30th place - eight strokes off the lead. But only three shots behind Jordan Spieth who also signed for a level par second after opening with a  67 the previous day.

Korea’s Younghan Song surged up the leaderboard after carding an eight-under-par 63 in the second round of the weather-hit event on Friday.

Play was suspended because of inclement weather at 3.06pm (local time) and could not resume due to thunderstorms and lightning activities around the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club.

A total of 78 players, including world number one Jordan Spieth and Byeonghun An who completed seven holes, will return to finish their rounds at 7.30am on Saturday morning with round three scheduled to start immediately upon the completion of the second round.

An was at seven-under while Spieth traded one birdie and one bogey to stay at four-under after six holes, five shots back of Song at the US$1 million event which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).

“I didn’t get off to a great start but made a good birdie on number two. That’s golf, that’s weather, you can’t control that. I could tell it was bad on other parts of the course,” said Spieth.

Song was on fire as he marked his card with seven birdies, one eagle and a bogey to establish a two-shot advantage over Japan’s Shintaro Kobayashi with his two-day total of nine-under-par 133.

The Korean stormed off the blocks quickly in the morning, going to five-under after four holes with two birdies and an eagle-three on four.

He charged towards the turn with another two birdies on seven and eight and continued to set the scorching pace with another pair of birdies on 10 and 11 before a bogey-five on 12 put the brakes momentarily on his charge.

After three straight pars from 13, Song sunk another birdie on 16 before reaching home comfortably in 63.

“It was a superb round and I really have to thank my excellent putting for putting me in this position.

“The goal is to win the tournament this week and for now, I just want to take a good rest before I come back again and hopefully play well like what I did today,” said Song.

Kobayashi meanwhile showed no signs of fatigue despite having to return early to complete his first round which was also suspended due to lightning yesterday.

The Japanese followed up his opening effort of a 66 with a 69 to put himself in a commanding position for the weekend rounds.

The 29 year-old had slightly more than an hour of rest before he was back at the tee again.

The Japanese went out in 35 after three birdies and two bogeys and would make another birdie on 17 to sign for a 69.

“I didn’t feel tired at all today. Maybe because it was cool in the morning and it only started to get a little hot and humid as the day went on.

“I feel comfortable on this course and if I continue to play like what I’ve done, anything can happen,” said Kobayashi.

Related articles

• Darren Clarke and Y.E. Yang To Participate In SMBC Singapore Open
• Golf: Asian Tour's Order of Merit crown for Anirban Lahiri
• Taylor Swift As A Blue-Haired 11-Year-Old Has To Be The Cutest Thing Ever
• LMAO Comedy Tour
• Watson ties course record and takes 2-shot lead in Bahamas
• Donaldson opens with 63 to lead Thailand Championship by 3

Gaiety for Harrington After Jakarta

Padraig Harrington has climbed over 100 places in the World Golf Rankings after securing victory at the Indonesia Open on Sunday.

The former world number three is back up to 260th after his win in the event, which came after a tense final hole that saw rival player Thanyakon Khrongpha hit his ball into the water.

The victory was Harrington's first at a full field tournament since the 2010 Johor Open title. Following that victory the 43-year-old had plummeted to 371st in the world.

Speaking after the final round on Sunday, the Dubliner said: "Winning is a good habit to have. It gives you a lot of confidence and I need that confidence.

"I didn't start too well, but I came through and I got the win. This win brings a lot of confidence to my game and hopefully it will show up next year."

Harrington won't not be resting on his laurels after the win. He also told a TV reporter he intended to make ‘100,000 swings’ over an upcoming 49-day break from tournament golf.

He will also feature in An Evening with Padraig Harrington' in The Gaiety Theatre on Tuesday January 20th 2015, with all proceeds from the night benefiting the ISPCC and the Padraig Harrington Charitable Foundation. 

An exclusive golf clinic will also give the audience insights into his career, the major wins and his involvement in the Ryder Cup. 

The evening will feature Padraig offering instructional advice on all aspects of the game including chipping, putting, bunker play, the long game and mental techniques as well as an interactive Q&A session. Padraig said today " I am really looking forward to spending the evening passing on my golfing knowledge, talking about my experiences on Tour and most importantly being able to raise funds for the Padraig Harrington Charitable Foundation and the ISPCC." 

Padraig's professional career spans 19 years and victories include The Open Championship and USPGA Champion ship in 2007. Followed by a  second Open Championship at Royal Nikldael in 2008.

In addition to his three major wins, Padraig has been a member of the Ryder Cup team six times, was the winner of the 2006 European Tour Order of Merit, the winner of the World Cup for Ireland on US soil, the first Irish winner of the Irish Open for 25 years, boasts a total of 26 wins worldwide, and has earned numerous other professional caps for Ireland. 

Caroline O'Sullivan from ISPCC said "we are thrilled that Padraig has nominated the ISPCC to benefit from this special event" it will be a night of birdies, bunkers and bogeys. We face very challenging times in the charity at the moment so every euro raised really does count". 

*The Padraig Harrington Charitable Foundation was established to provide financial assistance to deserving beneficiaries throughout Ireland and the rest of the world.

Related articles

• Harrington storms clear in Jakarta before rain halts play
• Harrington Storms Clear in Jakarta Before Rain Halts Play
• Padraig Harrington Looks East
• Aussie leads Indonesian Open by one shot
• US PGA lead seized by Toms and Rollins

Padraig's Long Road from Johor to Jakarta

Asian Tour

Padraig Harrington secured a thrilling victory at the US$750,000 BANK BRI Indonesia Open after defeating a battling Thanyakon Khrongpha of Thailand by two shots on Sunday.

The three-time Major champion held a four-shot lead at the start of the final round but stumbled at the turn in 37 as Thanyakon birdied three in his opening five holes to lead by two shots after nine holes.

Harrington clawed his way back up after a two-hour rain suspension to tie with Thanyakon heading into the 18th hole where drama ensued at the Damai Indah Golf, PIK Course.

Under immense pressure to win his first Asian Tour title, the 24-year-old Thai hit his second shot into the water for a double bogey as Harrington sealed the win with a 15-foot par putt after taking a penalty drop when his tee shot landed on the edge of the hazard.

Harrington, who signed for an even-par 71 and a winning total of 16-under-par 268 said, “Winning is a good habit to have. It gives you a lot of confidence and I need that confidence. I didn’t start too well but I came through and I got the win. This win brings a lot of confidence to my game and hopefully it will show up next year.”

“I had a bad break on the 18th hole when I hit my tee shot and it rolled to the edge of the hazard. I was about to chip my ball sideways to the fairway but when Thanyakon hit it into the water, there was no point to take a chance. So I went back to the fairway and hit my six iron for my best shot of the week,” said Harrington.

After completing five holes in his third round on Sunday morning, Harrington opened his final round campaign with a bogey before dropping two shots on the par three seventh hole. He admits that the rain delay after nine holes helped him recover.

“I hit a few bad shots earlier on and I hit a careless shot on the seventh hole. The biggest thing for me at that stage was that I was really praying for a rain delay. My momentum was gone but Thanyakon was flying and he didn’t miss a shot,” explained Harrington.

“It was very unlucky for Thanyakon because of that rain delay. It was unfortunate but he can be very proud with how he played all the way through. He is really impressive. He looks like a player to watch for in the future,” added the Irishman, whose last win in a full field tournament was in Johor in 2010.

A dejected Thanyakon rued the missed opportunity to win his first Asian Tour title after struggling to hold his nerve on the 18th hole.

“It was a great final round from me but I was under so much pressure on the last hole. I’m still happy with how I played. The rain delay stopped my momentum. It wasn’t good. The pressure made me scared,” said the young Thai, who posted a 69.

David Lipsky of the United States extended his Order of Merit lead by slightly over US$133,518 after finishing sixth while Merit runner-up Anirban Lahiri of India stumbled to tied 15th place after closing with a triple bogey.

“Looks like I increased my lead and I’m feeling pretty good about that. The goal was to play solid here. Step one done and now I’ll move on to the Thailand Golf Championship and see what I can do there,” said Lipsky, who won the Omega European Masters in Switzerland in September.

Lahiri will have much to play for in the remaining two Asian Tour events. “I got a lot to play for. David has a good lead and I need two solid results in the last two events. I think I’m playing well enough but I got to put it together over four rounds. I haven’t done that in these last two weeks.”

Related articles

• Rain disrupts Indonesian Open golf
• Harrington Shares Bank BRI Lead
• Harrington Storms Clear in Jakarta Before Rain Halts Play
• Harrington storms clear in Jakarta before rain halts play
• Golfers Lahiri tied 6th, Chowrasia joint 11th in Indonesia Open
• Atwal tied third after Indonesia Open round one

Harrington Extends Lead Ahead of Delay

Asian Tour

Padraig Harrington held a commanding five-shot lead at the weather interrupted BANK BRI Indonesia Open before the third round was abandoned on Saturday.

The three-time Major winner was 16-under through 13 holes before play was called off at the Damai Indah Golf, PIK course. He will return on Sunday at 6.40am alongside 44 other players to complete the round.

Playing in the same group as Harrington, Australia’s Nathan Holman was a distant five shots back while co-overnight leader Thanyakon Khrongpha of Thailand struggled with his driver and was 10-under through 13 holes.

Local hope George Gandranata continued his fine run at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event where he sits on eight-under after playing 16 holes.

Harrington, who is aiming to win his first title since 2012, hopes to stay positive as he prepares for a 23-hole marathon finale on Sunday.

“I was doing nicely. I got a good start and holed a couple of putts at the right time. I didn’t do too many mistakes but it is always difficult when you have the lead. You are a little bit cautious and it is something which I have to deal with.

“The last thing I want to do is go out there and be negative because that gives the rest of the field a chance. It is an awkward position to be in. It is never easy to lead. It is always easy to chase,” said Harrington, who marked his card with four birdies.

Holman struggled to repeat his second round heroics where he posted a brilliant 63. The Australian needs a huge result this week to have a chance of retaining his Asian Tour card for the 2015 season.

“I didn’t have real momentum going. The suspension didn’t really affect anything. Obviously you can learn quite a bit from Padraig Harrington and it has been really nice playing with him. Hope to get a good night’s sleep and see what happens tomorrow,” said Holman, ranked 95th on the Merit list.

Thanyakon, who is chasing for a first Asian Tour win, rued poor tee shots as he stumbled to four bogeys against two birdies. He gave himself a lifeline when he birdied the 13th hole before play was called off for the day.

“I was hitting my driver to the left today. It was very disappointing and I couldn’t recover from that. It really hurt my score. I was also struggling to judge the speed of the greens. Hopefully I can bounce back,” said the 24-year-old Thai.

Related articles

• Rain disrupts Indonesian Open golf
• Harrington Shares Bank BRI Lead
• Golfers Lahiri tied 6th, Chowrasia joint 11th in Indonesia Open
• Harrington storms clear in Jakarta before rain halts play
• Harrington Storms Clear in Jakarta Before Rain Halts Play
• Atwal tied third after Indonesia Open round one

Grant Starts Out Level

Getty Images

Stephen Grant opened with a birdie on the par 5 first hole at the PGA Tour Second Stage Qualifying on the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Florida on Tuesday.

A series of dropped shots on the way to the turn - two bogeys and a double at the par four 6th - left Grant 3 at the halfway mark. But  recoveries on holes 12 and 14th brought him back level for the round at 71 - for a share of 50th place.

Nick Lindheim is the early leader after carding a 65

The second stage is an all-or-nothing affair for most of the participants. Players who advance to the third and final stage are guaranteed at least conditional status on the Web.com Tour, which is the only pathway to the PGA TOUR. Most who miss out at second stage will start 2014 without status on that circuit.

Q-school’s second stage concludes this week at four sites that will be played Tuesday-Friday. Two sites were held last week (click here for results). The second stage always features a mix of young up-and-comers and former PGA TOUR winners.

Billy Mayfair, Arjun Atwal, Eric Axley, Frank Lickliter, Peter Lonard, Chris Smith, Marc Turnesa are among the former PGA TOUR winners competing this week.

The q-school fields also are full of players just starting their pro careers.

Three 2013 first-team All-Americans are taking part in second stage this week – Daniel Berger, James Erkenbeck and Michael Kim. They’re looking to join fellow first-teamers Max Homa and Justin Thomas at q-school’s final stage; Homa and Thomas advanced last week.

Thomas was the 2012 NCAA player of the year. Kim, a junior at Cal, won that award this year; he is competing in second stage as an amateur. He earned an exemption into second stage by finishing 17th at this year’s U.S. Open. Kim, Homa and Thomas were teammates on this year's victorious U.S. Walker Cup squad.

Erkenbeck and Kim are competing at Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta, California, Berger, runner-up to Homa at this year’s NCAA Championship, is playing at Plantation (Fla.) Preserve. He turned pro earlier this year after his sophomore season at Cal.

Kim is not the only collegian competing at Bear Creek. University of Southern California junior Anthony Paolucci also is competing at Bear Creek; he finished 29th in the 2011 Farmers Insurance Open while still in high school. Chris Williams, who turned pro earlier this year as the world’s No. 1 amateur, also is playing at Bear Creek.

Australia’s Brady Watt, the world’s No. 8 amateur and a semifinalist at this year’s U.S. Amateur, is playing second stage in Gautier, Mississippi,  as is Tadd Fujikawa, who made the cut in the 2007 Sony Open in Hawaii as a 16-year-old.

Follow leaderboards

Related articles

• Grant Tees off PGA Q-School
• Peter Uihlein, an American in Europe, has more than a PGA Tour card on his mind
• Homa, White capture Q-School First Stage wins
• Have driver, will travel: Peter Uihlein's path
• Golf Capsules
• Spieth's decision to turn pro dates to Olympic

Grant Tees off PGA Q-School

Stephen Grant returns to action this week in the PGA Tour Qualifying School Second Stage in Florida on Tuesday, just weeks after a disappointing card chase in Spain at Stage 2 of the European Tour Q School.

At Plantation Preserve Golf and Country Club this week the Birr golfer, now based in Flroida. has four rounds to battle for a place at the PGA Tour Final Qualifying at La Quinta in California scheduled for mid December

The second stage of q-school is an important step in most players’ careers. Few are fortunate enough to avoid it.

The second stage is an all-or-nothing affair for most of the participants. Players who advance to the third and final stage are guaranteed at least conditional status on the Web.com Tour, which is the only pathway to the PGA TOUR. Most who miss out at second stage will start 2014 without status on that circuit.

Q-school’s second stage concludes this week at four sites that will be played Tuesday-Friday. Two sites were held last week. The second stage always features a mix of young up-and-comers and former PGA TOUR winners.

Billy Mayfair, Arjun Atwal, Eric Axley, Frank Lickliter, Peter Lonard, Chris Smith, Marc Turnesa are among the former PGA TOUR winners competing this week.

The q-school fields also are full of players just starting their pro careers.

Three 2013 first-team All-Americans are taking part in second stage this week – Daniel Berger, James Erkenbeck and Michael Kim. They’re looking to join fellow first-teamers Max Homa and Justin Thomas at q-school’s final stage; Homa and Thomas advanced last week.

Thomas was the 2012 NCAA player of the year. Kim, a junior at Cal, won that award this year; he is competing in second stage as an amateur. He earned an exemption into second stage by finishing 17th at this year’s U.S. Open. Kim, Homa and Thomas were teammates on this year's victorious U.S. Walker Cup squad.

Erkenbeck and Kim are competing at Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta, Calif. Berger, runner-up to Homa at this year’s NCAA Championship, is playing at Plantation (Fla.) Preserve. He turned pro earlier this year after his sophomore season at Cal.

Kim is not the only collegian competing at Bear Creek. University of Southern California junior Anthony Paolucci also is competing at Bear Creek; he finished 29th in the 2011 Farmers Insurance Open while still in high school. Chris Williams, who turned pro earlier this year as the world’s No. 1 amateur, also is playing at Bear Creek.

Australia’s Brady Watt, the world’s No. 8 amateur and a semifinalist at this year’s U.S. Amateur, is playing second stage in Gautier, Miss., as is Tadd Fujikawa, who made the cut in the 2007 Sony Open in Hawaii as a 16-year-old.

Related articles

• Homa, White capture Q-School First Stage wins
• Albin Choi, Justin Shin advance at Web.com Q-School
• Island golfers ready to face rigours of qualifying for upcoming tourneys
• GTC: Homa earns money and top 10 in pro debut
• Where does this leave the European tour?
• Spieth's decision to turn pro dates to Olympic

Turner Looking to Hero

Photo: AsianTour

Niall Turner is the sole Irish entry at Hero Indian Open on the Asian Tour in two weeks where he will join PGA Tour winner Michael Thompson and Robert Rock for the Golden Jubilee of this event. 

The Muskerry golfer returns to action after finishing 32nd at the OneAsia Venetian Macau won by Australian Scott Hend, with Ernie Els third.  

It has been a mixed season for Turner who was unsuccessful at the European Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 in France earlier this month, where he finished 30th and outside qualification spots for Stage 2. At the Northern Ireland Challenge presented by Clannah and XJet at Galgorm Castle Niall missed the cut after opening rounds of 75 and 78.  However in Macau rounds of 73-68-72-71 showed that form is returning.

Niall made his Asian Tour debut in 2011 and claimed three top-20's in his first nine months on Tour.  In 2012 he contended for the Handa Faldo Cambodian Classic before finishing third and also finished top-20 in three other events during the season.

Next on his roster is the US$1.25 million Indian tournament will return to its birth place in 1964 at the venerable Delhi Golf Club from November 7 to 10, 2013.

Befitting the 50th edition of the Hero Indian Open, the local stars including Arjun Atwal, the first Indian to win on the US PGA Tour and Jyoti Randhawa, one of two players to win the Indian Open three times will vie for honours at India’s most prestigious golfing events.

Four other Indian winners, C Muniyappa (2009), Vijay Kumar (2002), Feroz Ali (1998) and Ali Sher (1991 and 1993) will add to the charm of the historic staging.

Mr. Pawan Munjal, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Hero MotoCorp Ltd., said, “Hero has been associated with golf since the time the game was at a nascent stage in the country. It is, therefore, a matter of immense delight to see this event celebrating its Golden Jubilee this year.

Hero has been a partner in this glorious journey of golf and like always, we remain committed to the promotion of the game in India. I am looking forward to some memorable golf at this landmark edition of Hero Indian Open.”

Only seven Indians have won the National Open, of which the first PG Billoo Sethi (winner in 1965) passed away in 1982. The remaining six will be seen in action at the DGC this year.

While the past champions savour and relive their finest moments, the youth brigade led by four-time Asian Tour winner, Gaganjeet Bhullar, three-time Asian Tour winner, Anirban Lahiri and other winners like S.S.P. Chowrasia, Shiv Kapur, Himmat Rai and Digvijay Singh will also fancy their chances at the legendary and challenging layout at the Delhi Golf Club.

“The Asian Tour is proud to be associated with the 50th edition of the Hero Indian Open. The Asian Tour is also celebrating its 10th season in 2013 and on behalf of our talented players, I would like to congratulate the Hero Indian Open on its milestone,” said Asian Tour CEO Mike Kerr.

“The Hero Indian Open has been one of the longest running tournaments on our Schedule and the event has attracted many top golfers in India as well as from across the world. I’m confident the 2013 Hero Indian Open will be celebrated by the presence of the Asian Tour’s stellar stars including defending champion Thaworn.”

Related articles

• Lahiri equals course record, finishes second in Macau
• Farr Ahead of McGeady
• Lawrie Retains Tour Card
• Spieth's decision to turn pro dates to Olympic
• Woods at his best at Firestone, Torrey, Bay Hill
• Kapur leads Indian challenge at Asia-Pacific Panasonic golf