2007 Fortis International Challenge - Round 2: Thailand stay ahead in foursomes but Korea close in

The formidable Thai pairing of Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng produced a battling two-under-par 70 in the foursomes to take a one stroke halfway lead in the Fortis International Challenge on Friday.

The Thais produced three birdies against a lone bogey at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club for a 13-under par 131 aggregate in the qualifier for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China in November.

Korea’s Lee Sung and Lee Seung-ho fired a sparkling 67 for second place while Gerald Rosales and Tony Lascuna of the Philippines, New Zealand’s Richard Lee and Stephen Scahill and Holland’s Robert-Jan Derksen and Maarten Lafeber share third place on 133, two behind Thailand.

Overnight co-leaders Malaysia, with Iain Steel and Airil Rizman in the team, slipped to joint seventh place after struggling to a 75 in the alternate-shot format while last year’s winners Singapore’s Mardan Mamat and Lam Chih Bing are ninth on 138. The top-five teams in the Fortis International Challenge will qualify for the World Cup.

“We are two-under par today which is very good in foursomes. We are pleased with our performance and we are confident that our fine run will continue,” said a delighted Thongchai.

“We hit a lot of greens and fairways, so that was good. Prayad also played very well and our plan worked out nicely.”

The Korean partnership of Seung-ho and Lee Sung produced the day’s joint best score with a 67, highlighted by six birdies, including three on the trot from the opening hole. Both players were playing foursomes for the first time but they took a fond liking to the alternate shot format like fish taking to water.

“We made three birdies right from the start. We drove well but didn’t hole too many putts. It was a great combination,” said the 21-year-old Seung-ho. “Lee Sung hit his irons really well and I was driving the ball nicely. It was a great combination.”

Rosales was full of praise for partner Lascuna, who peppered the pins with some delightful iron play as they reeled in five birdies to put the Philippines firmly in the hunt for a maiden World Cup appearance.

“Tony is a good iron player and all I had to do was to hit the fairway and he would do the rest,” beamed Rosales. “To shoot a 68 today has made it easier for us.”

Rosales needed to hole big par putts on the first and 10th holes to keep their round together. Lascuna, who has posted two top-three finishes on the Asian Tour in the past month, holed a 20 foot birdie on the second and then set up another birdie with a crisp approach to a foot on the sixth.

The Filipinos birdied the par five seventh and 12th easily before Lascuna nearly chipped in for eagle at the last, a par five. “Tony has always been a good player. He just needed a break which he didn’t have two three years ago,” said Rosales.

New Zealand fought back into contention with seven birdies against two bogeys on the card. Scahill, bidding for a second World Cup appearance, said: “We are very pleased with our score as I don’t think you can expect to shoot five-under every time in foursomes. We exceeded our own expectations by a couple of shots today.”

Just as the first round, Derksen and Lafeber struggled on the front nine, missing a one-foot birdie putt on the first hole and horse-shoed another attempt at the second hole before dropping a double bogey at the third with an errant drive from Derksen. But on the back nine, the Dutchmen were flying, holing four birdies on the way home

“After nine holes, we were pretty much out of the tournament but we shot ourselves back into it again. We played great on the back nine,” said Lafeber. “For two days, we have both played well. The only shot we missed was when Robert leaked his drive on the third. We missed two greens all day and in foursomes, that’s really good golf. Overall, we did everything right and were a bit unlucky. We’re missing putts which we wouldn’t normally miss in Europe.”

After finishing joint leaders with Thailand yesterday, the Malaysian paring of Steel and Rizman failed to keep up their good run as a back nine 40 saw them slip five shots off the pace, and three behind the current top-five mark for World Cup qualification.

“I couldn’t find the fairway and I was struggling with my driver today,” said Steel. “This put Airil in several bad positions when we couldn’t attack the greens, let alone the pins. It was just a bad day on my behalf,” said a disappointed Steel.

Airil believes they still have a chance to qualify for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup. “It wasn’t that bad. I didn’t make the necessary putts to keep us going. We just couldn’t ignite our games. It was a tough day. The last two days will be very important. We’ll have to do what we’re supposed to do.”

Singaporean duo Mardan and Lam, winners of the qualifiers in the last two years, battled to a 72 and lie in ninth place on 138, five strokes off the top-five mark.

“This wasn’t an easy format (Foursomes) and we made quite a few mistakes. Both of us kept missing the fairways and the greens and we didn’t have many birdie chances,” said Mardan.

A total of 18 teams have qualified automatically for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup through the Official World Golf Rankings with the remaining 10 places being decided through qualifying in Asia and South America.

Second Round Scores
131 – Thailand (Thongchai Jaidee, Prayad Marksaeng) 61-70
132 – Korea (Lee Seung-Ho, Lee Sung) 65-67
133 – Philippines (Tony Lascuna, Gerald Rosales) 65-68
133 - New Zealand (Richard Lee, Stephen Scahill) 66-67
133 – Holland (Robert-Jan Derksen, Maarten Lafeber) 64-69
135 - Chinese Taipei (Lin Wen-tang, Lin Wen-hong) 65-70
136 – Myanmar (Zaw Moe, Soe Kyaw Naing) 68-68
136 – Malaysia (Airil Rizman, Iain Steel) 61-75
138 – Singapore (Mardan Mamat, Lam Chih Bing) 66-72
140 - Hong Kong (James Stewart, Wong Woon Man) 66-74
141 – Switzerland (Martin Rominger, Robert Wiederkehr) 67-74
142 – Pakistan (Matloob Ahmed, Muhammad Munir) 66-76
144 – Slovenia (Janez Grilc, Andrej Kraljic) 68-76
147 – Ghana (Emos Korblah, Victor Brave Mensah) 70-77
148 – Mauritius (Billy Narraina, Vishnoo Seeneevassen) 69-79
150 – Russia (Igor Korchak, Victor Ostankov) 68-82
151 – Uganda (Deo Akope, Godfrey Mande) 71-80

Note:
Fourballs used on first and third rounds.
Foursomes used on second and final rounds.

September 28, 2007

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