2007 Fortis International Challenge - Round 1: Malaysia & Thailand three ahead after first fourballs

Malaysia and Thailand lived up to their billing as hot favourites when they fired matching 11-under-par 61s in the fourball format for the joint first round lead in the Fortis International Challenge on Thursday.

Iain Steel and Airil Rizman combined effectively for the host nation at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club, shooting 11 birdies for an unblemished card. Thai duo Thongchai Jaidee, contributing eight birdies, and Prayad Marksaeng were equally spectacular by matching the Malaysians with a bogey-free round.

Holland’s Maarten Lafeber and Robert-Jan Derksen overcame a sluggish start to post a 64 for third place while Korea’s Lee Sung and Lee Seung-ho, Gerald Rosales and Tony Lascuna of the Philippines and Chinese Taipei duo Lin Wen-tang and Lin Wen-hong carded matching 65s to share fourth place.

Singapore, represented by Lam Chih Bing and Mardan Mamat, opened their campaign with a 66. The top-five finishers this week will earn tickets to the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China in November.

Steel, bidding for a first World Cup appearance in his third attempt at qualifying, was delighted with their start. “It was good teamwork all round. We were always in control of our game and were not under much pressure to make a bogey,” said Steel, who contributed six birdies.

He credited debutant Airil for a rock solid display. “I told Airil to go and play your own game. That’s the best way to play in this format. You just have to be aggressive and he did nicely,” said Steel

With 13 wins between them on the Asian Tour, Thongchai and Prayad launched their campaign with a sparkling display of ball striking. While Thongchai rattled in eight birdies, the two-time Asian number one said teammate Prayad also played a big role.

“We had a good partnership going. We played well together and did quite a few things. If one guy missed a shot, the other player will hit it perfect. We don’t have any complaints. Our concentration was good all day. We missed a few shots but we’re certainly happy with this star,” said Thongchai, who is bidding for a first appearance in the World Cup.

The Dutch pairing of Derksen and Lafeber struggled on the Kota Permai greens for an outward 34 before romping home in 30 to put themselves in position for a fifth World Cup appearance together. Derksen said Lafeber’s birdie on 10 gave them the momentum to charge up the leaderboard.

“I thought we played very well although we didn’t putt too well. The greens are very different from Europe so that was why we struggled. But overall it was a satisfying start,” said Derksen.

“Maarten made a good birdie on 10 and that got us going as it was the first hole that we made a putt. It gave us a bit of confidence and we alternated each other very well from there onwards.”

Singapore’s Mardan and Lam, winners of the last two qualifiers in Malaysia, was disappointed with their 66 after failing to convert numerous birdie opportunities.

“We’re not really happy. We should have done better. We missed a few putts after hitting some shots close to the pins. There are still three more days to go and we’ll just have to keep focusing on what we have to do,” said Mardan who is nursing a back injury which he picked up in England last week.

Lam is looking ahead to tomorrow’s more difficult format, the foursomes (alternate shot) and believes it will separate the contenders from the pretenders. “Over the last three holes, we had good chances and if a couple of them had dropped, it would have been a lot better. We’re in an okay position. We both played solid, didn’t make many mistakes but foursomes (tomorrow) should suit our game right now,” said Lam.

With Choi Kyung-ju and Yang Yong-eun declining to represent Korea in the Omega Mission Hills World Cup through the world rankings, the 21-year-old Lee Seung-ho and Lee Sung, winner of this season’s Bangkok Airways Open on the Asian Tour, are hoping to force their way to China.

“It’s pretty good. We had our problems with the par fives as we only shot one birdie there,” said Seung-ho.

He added that it wasn’t difficult communicating with Lee Sung, who is deaf. “He understands everything easily and he speaks well and understands me perfectly through lip-reading.”

Rosales was also delighted that the Philippines team is in the hunt after the fourball round. “We didn’t have the best of starts but played well on the back nine. We’re only four back from the leaders. Tony and I struck the ball nicely and we’re looking forward to tomorrow.”

The Fortis International Challenge will use the fourball (better ball) format in the first and third rounds and foursomes (alternate shot) in the second and final rounds.

Round 1 Results (Fourball)
61 –Malaysia (Airil Rizman, Iain Steel), Thailand (Thongchai Jaidee, Prayad Marksaeng)
64 – Holland (Robert-Jan Derksen, Maarten Lafeber)
65 – Korea (Lee Seung-Ho, Lee Sung), Chinese Taipei (Lin Wen-tang, Lin Wen-hong), Philippines (Tony Lascuna, Gerald Rosales)
66 - New Zealand (Richard Lee, Stephen Scahill), Singapore (Mardan Mamat, Lam Chih Bing), Pakistan (Matloob Ahmed, Muhammad Munir), Hong Kong (James Stewart, Wong Woon Man)
67 -Switzerland,(Martin Rominger, Robert Wiederkehr),
68 -Slovenia,(Janez Grilc, Andrej Kraljic), Russia,(Igor Korchak, Victor Ostankov), Myanmar,(Zaw Moe, Soe Kyaw Naing)
69 – Mauritius (Billy Narraina, Vishnoo Seeneevassen)
70 – Ghana (Emos Korblah, Victor Brave Mensah)
71 – Uganda (Deo Akope, Godfrey Mande)

September 27, 2007

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