Chawalit Plaphol opens three shot lead

Thailand 's Chawalit Plaphol kept his foot on the pedal at the Volvo China Open, firing a solid five-under-par 67 which pulled him three clear at the halfway stage on Friday.

The smooth-swinging Chawalit, aiming to emulate compatriots Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant in winning co-sanctioned events this year, took full advantage of the par fives once again at the magnificent Shenzhen Golf Club as he reeled in six birdies against a lone bogey.

The Thai leads on 12-under-par 132 from his co-first round leader Francois Delamontagne of France and England's Oliver Wilson, who carded 70 and 67 respectively in the US$1.3 million championship which is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.

Scotsman Simon Yates, an old hand in Asia , posted a second successive 68 for fourth place, four shots back, while England 's Ross Fisher was a further stroke adrift. India 's Jyoti Randhawa, playing with borrowed clubs, kept up his title bid with a fine 67 for a 138 total.

The talented Chawalit is hoping to add a third career major win. With crisp iron play, he rolled in easy birdies on all the par fives and is 10-under on the par fives alone after two rounds.

"I've won one Asian Tour event back in 1998 and won in Japan last year. I would dearly love to win a co-sanctioned event. I hope to try and keep playing well," said Chawalit, who was tied third in last year's Volvo China Open.

Chawalit's razor-sharp irons saw him miss only one green in regulation. Starting from the 10th, he birdied the par five 12th and 18th holes with relative ease from six and four feet respectively and then nailed an eight iron to six feet on the first hole.

His three other birdies on the fourth, seventh and eighth were from inside six feet while his lone bogey was a result of an errant wedge shot. "I drove the ball well and hit my irons even better than yesterday's 65. I have been concentrating hard on the golf course as it is quite a long course for me.

"I birdied all the par fives today and it's helped me over the last two days. The key here is to hit fairways. If I have a chance to attack the course, then I will go for it. Otherwise, I will play it safe when necessary at the weekend," said the Thai.

The 25-year-old Wilson displayed his growing promise as he searches for his maiden professional victory. After representing the victorious Great Britain and Ireland team in the 2003 Walker Cup – the highlight of his amateur career, he has blossomed into a rising star and safely kept his card on the recent 2005 European Tour season with three top-10s.

The US-based Wilson has soaked in the pressure of being in contention but is determined to stay the course at the Volvo China Open, which is celebrating its 11th edition. "I learned a lot last season. I was in contention about five or six times and although they didn't go how I had hoped they would I learned a lot. New Zealand was the first time where I was leading into the last round (earlier this year) and I kind of got a little edgy and ended dropping way down the field. I'm going to the market this afternoon to try and take my mind off things. It's early days and there is a long way to go," said Wilson, who fired seven birdies on the card.

Thai-based Yates, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, dropped a bogey at his last hole with a three-putt for a 68 as he faded towards the closing stretch of holes. A run of three straight birdies from the 10th, after missing short putts on eight and nine, saw him move up the leaderboard.

"At the start of the day, if I had taken a 68, I would not have bothered teeing up. It was a disappointing finish as I got tired at the end and played pretty average. The lead is not that much. Chawalit is three ahead and you don't know what he is going to do. But knowing him, he'll keep going," said Yates.

Randhawa, bidding to add the Volvo China Open crown to his Volvo Masters of Asia title, kept up his chase with borrowed clubs for the second day running. The Indian's luggage and golf set failed to arrive from Portugal after he finished ninth in last weekend's WGC Algarve World Cup with Arjun Atwal.

Wielding unfamiliar clubs didn't seem to bother him as he snared seven birdies, including a 30-foot monster on the third, through 13 holes before late blemishes on the sixth and ninth holes. "I think I've got a hang of the irons and I putted quite well. This putter seems to be working better than mine. My luggage left London last night to Shanghai and I hope it arrives today. If we can get it here, it should be good. I'll definitely use my own irons when they arrive," said Randhawa.

The Indian star, Asia 's number one in 2002, was disappointed to drop a shot at the last hole from the middle of the fairway. "I didn't like the bogey. I was thinking of birdie and hurried my shot and got into the bunker and missed the putt. I definitely lost two shots on the field on this hole."

Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Thaworn, fresh from a record fourth victory in Vietnam last week, enjoyed a bogey-free 68 for 10th position on 140, a score matched by the likes England 's Paul Casey and Boonchu Ruangkit of Thailand .

Chinese ace Zhang Lian-wei will have to step on the gas at the weekend if he hopes to reproduce his successful 2003 campaign where he won his first Volvo China Open. The 40-year-old, playing on his home course this week, bounced back from an outward 38 with three late birdies for an eventual 71 and lies in tied 18th place on 141.

The halfway cut was set at 144 with 67 players progressing into the weekend rounds. The Volvo China Open is the third last event on the 2005 Asian Tour and is the second leg of the 2006 European Tour international schedule.

Leading second round scores

132 - Chawalit Plaphol (THA) 65-67

135 - Oliver Wilson (ENG) 68-67, Francois Delamontagne (FRA) 65-70

136 - Simon Yates (SCO) 68-68

137 - Ross Fisher (ENG) 69-68

138 - Jyoti Randhawa ( IND ) 71-67, Miles Tunnicliff (ENG) 68-70

139 - Shiv Kapur ( IND ) 69-70, Terry Pilkadaris (AUS) 68-71

140 - Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 72-68, Kenneth Ferrie (ENG) 70-70, Andrew Butterfield (ENG) 68-72, Boonchu Ruangkit (THA) 67-73, Fredrik Widmark (SWE) 75-65, Paul Casey (ENG) 71-69, Anders Hansen (DEN) 70-70, Scott Strange (AUS) 73-67

141 - Steven Jeppesen (SWE) 72-69, Barry Lane (ENG) 67-74, Anthony Kang (USA) 69-72, Zhang Lian-wei (CHN) 70-71, Peter Lawrie (IRL) 69-72, Adam Groom (AUS) 70-71, Soren Kjeldsen (DEN) 74-67

142 - Brad Kennedy (AUS) 72-70, Chang Tse-peng (TPE) 69-73, Danny Chia (MAS) 70-72, Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 73-69, Lu Wen-teh (TPE) 73-69, Keith Horne (RSA) 74-68, Gregory Bourdy (FRA) 73-69, Gaurav Ghei (IND) 72-70, Adam Blyth (AUS) 70-72, Anthony Wall (ENG) 71-71, Soren Hansen (DEN) 70-72, Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 72-70, Stephen Dodd (WAL) 71-71, Ron Won (USA) 74-68, Joakim Backstrom (SWE) 69-73, David Park (WAL) 69-73

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page