Harrington Cuts Chopra Johor Lead

Padraig Harrington battled to a four-under-par 67 despite struggling with a stomach discomfort to trail second round leader Daniel Chopra of Sweden by two shots on Saturday.

Harrington returned Saturday morning to complete nine holes for an 11-under-par 131 total that was matched by James Morrison of England and Gregory Bourdy of France at the US$2 million event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.

A total of 70 players returned Saturday morning to complete the second round of the Iskandar Johor Open after play was suspended at 6.40pm on Friday.

Chopra, who finished the second round on Friday, aims to recapture the title he won way back in 1993 but will have to fend off the strong challenge from three-time Major champion Harrington at the Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club.

“I’ve actually been feeling a bit under the weather for the last 48 hours, so that break yesterday actually did me the world of good, because I was able to sleep for three hours. I’m not sure if it was something I ate, but I’ve been really struggling to sleep and I lost my appetite,” said Harrington.

“But I felt better after my sleep yesterday afternoon, and I felt better again this morning. I’ve been surviving on toast for the last two days, but hopefully I can get something down me now and maybe go for a little nap before the third round starts,” he added.

Harrington played nine holes on Friday before play was suspended due to darkness. He returned this morning with a pair of birdies from 11 and added two more birdies on holes 16 and 18 to stay within touching distance of Chopra.

“It was important to get as close to Daniel (Chopra) as I could, because we don’t know if there are 18 or 36 holes left to play. I was very aware of that coming down the last nine holes, and even on the last hole. The pin is very tight to the water but I decided to attack the flag with my pitch anyway, which maybe I wouldn’t have done if I knew for definite there was still 36 holes left to play,” he said.

Sddikur of Bangladesh, winner of the 2010 Brunei Open, is the highest ranked Asian in tied sixth place after posting a 67 on Friday for a 134 total to lie five shots off the lead.

The halfway cut was set at two-under-par 140 with a total of 72 players making the cut. Round three will start no later than 12.45pm local time.

Scores after round 2 

129 - Daniel CHOPRA (SWE) 64-65.

131 - Padraig HARRINGTON (IRL) 64-67, James MORRISON (ENG) 66-65, Gregory BOURDY (FRA) 64-67.

133 - Joost LUITEN (NED) 63-70.

134 - SIDDIKUR (BAN) 67-67, Christian NILSSON (SWE) 67-67, Michael JONZON (SWE) 69-65, Jose Manuel LARA (ESP) 67-67, Marcus FRASER (AUS) 64-70.

135 - Soren HANSEN (DEN) 68-67, Rhys DAVIES (WAL) 70-65, Soren KJELDSEN (DEN) 71-64, Darren BECK (AUS) 70-65, Brett RUMFORD (AUS) 71-64, Manny VILLEGAS (COL) 72-63, Fredrik ANDERSSON HED (SWE) 68-67.

136 - Rikard KARLBERG (SWE) 70-66, Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 65-71, Peter KARMIS (RSA) 70-66, Jamie MCLEARY (SCO) 66-70, Marcel SIEM (GER) 69-67, Louis OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) 69-67, Michael HOEY (NIR) 69-67.

137 - Mardan MAMAT (SIN) 69-68, Steve WEBSTER (ENG) 69-68, Sam WALKER (ENG) 70-67, Anthony KIM (USA) 68-69, Guido VAN DER VALK (NED) 69-68, Danny WILLETT (ENG) 69-68, Richie RAMSAY (SCO) 68-69.

Harrington Defends Johor Open Title

Padraig Harrington feels he will have to produce some of his very best golf to defend his Iskandar Johor Open title in Malaysia this week.

Harrington ended a two-year wait for a title 12 months ago with a three-shot victory at Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club in Johor Bahru when the tournament was part of the Asian Tour. Now co-sanctioned for the first time with the European Tour, Harrington will have to fend off competition from Henrik Stenson, Camilo Villegas, Anthony Kim and Louis Oosthuizen among others.

"There are 156 guys here this week, and most - if not all - of them are very good players. So you're going to have to play very well and hole a lot of putts to win the tournament," the three-time major winner told the European Tour website.

"It's very hard to predict who's going to win a golf tournament these days because pretty much every player in the field is quite capable on their day.

"So it's always better to focus on your own game rather than on anyone else. All you can do is just give it your best shot and see where it takes you."

Harrington, though, expects to take on a much different Horizon Hills course from a year ago, where he triumphed with a winning score of 20-under-par.

"It's always nice to come back to a golf course where you've won before. It obviously comes with certain expectations, and hopefully I can live up to them this week," he added.

"The course is very different to the one we played last year. A few of the holes have been lengthened, the rough's much heavier and the fairways are very soft, whereas they were pretty firm last year.

"So whilst we were getting 30 to 40 yards of run here last year, you probably won't be getting any this year. So it'll be interesting to see how it affects the scoring - I certainly don't think the winning score will be as low as last year's."

The Iskandar Johor Open is one of the fastest growing tournaments on the Asian Tour and has attracted some of the best golfers in the world. The event was successfully staged at the Royal Johor Country Club for the first three years and at Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club in 2010. 

It returns to Johor for the fifth time where once again at Horizon Hills, golf fans will be able to witness yet another exciting golf tournament which is staking its claim as one of the top events on the Asian Tour calendar. It reaches a new level on the international golf schedule with its elevation to a jointly sanctioned tournament with the Asian and European Tours starting 2011. 

Since the inaugural event in 2007, the prize money for the tournament has increased by more than four-fold from US$300,000 in 2007 to US$1.25 million in 2010. In 2011, the prize money will grow to a minimum of US$2 million. 

Past winners include Artemio Murakami of Philippines who won the inaugural event in 2007 and South African Retief Goosen who took home the prestigious prize in 2008. Korean superstar KJ Choi lifted the coveted trophy in 2009 and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington ended a two-year winless run in 2010 with a very popular win. 

2010 also saw the best field in Johor yet, with the finest players on the Asian Tour and 2010 European Ryder Cup Winning Team Captain Colin Montgomerie. 

2011 looks set to be the championship’s most exciting edition yet, with a field of the European Tours’ finest players facing off against the best that Asian golf has to offer. 

A total of 156 international golfers are expected to compete in this prestigious global event this year.

Carton House to Host 2012 Event

The leading amateur stroke play championship is heading for Ireland next year, with the Golfing Union of Ireland announcing it will host the International European Amateur Championship in 2012.

The Montgomerie Course at Carton House will await the best amateur players from across the world on August 8-11 – and if past experience is anything to go by, the competition will be a memorable one.

Some of the biggest names in the world of professional golf have captured the European Individual title on their way to global success – including current US Open Champion and current World No.2 Rory McIlroy.

It is the first time in the 25-year history of the event that Ireland will host – the championship having previously been held in Denmark, France, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Finland, Scotland, Belgium, Portugal, Wales, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, England and The Netherlands.

Additionally, the championship is one of only four on the World Amateur Golf Rankings points system with “elite” status – the other three being the Asian Amateur, British Amateur and US Amateur Championships.

Irish players have been particularly successful at the event. McIlroy’s victory in 2006 earned him a place in the 2007 Open Championship, in which he announced his talent to the world with a fine opening round of three-under 68 on the Carnoustie Links. He went on to win the Silver Medal as the leading amateur player that week.

But his was not the first – but fourth – Irish victory at the championship, with Brian McElhinney capturing the title in 2003, Stephen Browne in 2001 and Paddy Gribben in 1998.

Prominent past winners also include five-time Ryder Cup star Sergio Garcia, France’s European Tour stalwart Gregory Havret – who finished runner-up at the US Open in 2010 – and Sweden’s Carl Pettersson, a four-time victor on the USPGA Tour.

The Honorary Secretary of the Golfing Union of Ireland, Albert Lee, said “We are delighted to be selected to host the European Individual Championship and look forward to welcoming the cream of world amateur golf to Ireland next August.

“We are also thrilled that the championship will be played on the Montgomerie Course at Carton House, as I’m sure it will be both an enjoyable experience and a stern test for such an elite field.”

Gonzo Storms Top in Singapore Open

The Singapore Open has been reduced to 54 holes after play was called off for the day due to lightning at Sentosa Golf Club with Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano leading the way on 15 under par.

Play was suspended for almost three hours on Friday due to thunderstorms, meaning a number of the field had to return this morning to finish their second rounds.

However, the third round was also halted on account of lightning before eventually being suspended with play to resume early Sunday morning.

With the event now reduced to 54 holes, it leaves Fernandez-Castano firm favourite to claim the title as the Spaniard took a three-shot lead after posting a second round of 61 this morning.

Fernandez-Castano carded five birdies coming home on the Tanjong Course as he completed his second round in style to move clear of Edoardo Molinari and James Morrison.

'I am thrilled, you don't shoot 10-under very often,' he said. 'You don't really know how the suspensions are going to affect you. I was lucky because yesterday I didn't tee off before the thunder storm. I took my time. I took it easy and started well with three birdies. 

'It was great and then I had a good start again this morning. I played well of course. To play well you need to hole putts and that is what I did.

'I found something with my swing. I have been injured for six months at the beginning of the year and it took me a while to find my swing and what I want to do with the ball.

'I finally did and of course the big thing was the putting. I changed my putting method at the Czech Open in mid August. Since then my putting has improved a lot. It's the claw grip. I am just imitating Sergio Garcia to see if I can win as many tournaments as he does.'

He added: 'It's a shame that the tournament has to be reduced to 54 holes. It's good for me to be leading after 36 but I don't think that's what anyone wants, players, sponsors, officials, spectators, Sentosa - everyone would rather be playing 72 holes.

'There is a long way to go with 18 holes tomorrow and there are some great players just behind me on the leaderboard. It's going to be a tough day so I have to go out there and play my own game and see what happens.

'I mean, six months ago I didn't know what was going on with my back injury and to be honest I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to play again. So after spending six months on the bench I am very proud of the way I have been able to come back.'

Molinari was unable to make much headway into Fernandez-Castano's lead, picking up a birdie at the 12th as the Italian resumed on the Serapong Course before eventually signing for a 68 to join Morrison on 12 under while Juvic Pagunsan is in third spot two shots further back after firing his second successive 66.

New Zealander Danny Lee climbed into the group on nine-under following a 65, alongside Anders Hansen and Michael Hoey, while Scot Richie Ramsay also carded a 65 to move to eight-under alongside Justin Rose and YE Yang, who could only manage a 71.

Colin Montgomerie returned a 71 to make the cut and a birdie at the 11th moved the veteran to five-under before his third round was halted just two holes in.

Simon Dyson, Phil Mickelson and Graeme McDowell also made the cut but Padraig Harrington missed out as a 77 left the Irishman four over par.

McIlroy Makes World Number 2 Spot

Rory McIlroy is up to second in the world rankings after his fourth-place finish in the HSBC Champions event.

A last-hole birdie in Shanghai was enough to lift him to a career-high ranking, one which leaves only England's Luke Donald ahead of the 22-year-old US Open champion.

If he had parred the 18th hole, McIlroy would have been in a four-way tie for sixth and would have stayed behind Lee Westwood in the ranking list.

But he hit his approach to the par five to the back of the green and two-putted to boost his ranking position.

Martin Kaymer's victory at the tournament lifted him back to fourth in the ranking list, giving Europe the top four places again.

He carded a final round of 63 to win, one which contained nine birdies in the last 12 holes.

Meanwhile, Kaymer's win puts him second in the European Tour's 'Race To Dubai' money list, ahead of McIlroy.

He now has 2,830,264 euros, but remains more than a million behind leader Luke Donald (3,856,394) as the race heads towards its conclusion at next month's Dubai World Championship.

Kaymer's title triumph has also put him at the head of the race for a spot in Europe's Ryder Cup team.

The German is top of the European points list, the top five on which make the team. The top five on the world points list (who have not already qualified) on August 26 next year also make the 12-man line-up, with captain Jose Maria Olazabal able to choose two wild cards.

Ryder Cup standings (capitals indicate players in qualifying positions):

European points list: 1 MARTIN KAYMER 1,179,368, 2 SERGIO GARCIA 833,330, 3 RORY McILROY 789,420, 4 MICHAEL HOEY 641,387, 5 GRAEME McDOWELL 511,571, 6 Fredrik Jacobson 473,747, 7 Thomas Bjorn 461,427, 8 Tom Lewis 459,265, 9 Simon Dyson 444,241, 10 David Lynn 429,064.

World Rankings

World points list: 1 LUKE DONALD 100.32, 2 Martin Kaymer 97.77, 3 Rory McIlroy 93.08, 4 JUSTIN ROSE 81.46, 5 Sergio Garcia 71.93, 6 FREDRIK JACOBSON 57.67, 7 SIMON DYSON 55.43, 8 Michael Hoey 55.42, 9 THOMAS BJORN 54.38, 10 Graeme McDowell 46.22.