Mamoru
Osanai produced the round of his life to shoot a 65 on Thursday and take unfancied
Japan into a four-stroke lead on the opening day of the World Cup of golf ahead
of Wales.
The
United States, led by Tiger Woods who recovered from a modest outward half to
fire a 67, were in third.
Osanai's six-under-par return helped him and partner Mitsuo Harada to seven-under-par
135 in the team aggregate event, as last year's lowly-placed Japanese tour rankers
provided a major shock in the 45th staging of the event.
Because most Japanese tour players are featuring in their richest-ever event,
the Dunlop Phoenix, this week, Osanai, 26th in last year's Japan rankings, and
Harada, 46th, were the first ones down the 1998 money list to accept team places
in Kuala Lumpur.
But the pair made light of their lowly positions to upstage all the fancied teams
in the 32 team field.
Osanai captured eight birdies to lead the individual table from Woods by three
strokes.
America,
with Woods' partner Mark O'Meara having a poor putting day, had to settle for
a share of third place, five strokes adrift of Japan and a shot behind second-placed
Wales.
Woods
had to battle back from two-over on the first nine, with a double-bogey on the
ninth and boosted America's chances by birdieing all the last four holes.
Osanai also birdied all four from the 15th but he played the course starting at
the 10th, to go out in 31, five under par.
"It's
the best of my life," said a jubilant Osanai, who only turned pro three years
ago but took the Japanese Matchplay title this year.
"It
is nice to show that we can lead the world even if we were nowhere near the first
choices from Japan - and the best feeling of all is to have shot better than the
great Tiger Woods!
"Both
of us would rather compete against international players here than play the home
tour this week, even if the money in Japan was the best of all time."
Woods turned
his day on its head by also collecting birdies at the 10th and 12th as he continued
his brilliant form of the last month.
"It
was like night and day," said Woods. "I just couldn't make a putt on the front
side and then they all started to drop."
O'Meara was glad of his partner's revival. After carding a 73 he said: "My round
was kinda like it's been all year, a frustrating day on the greens. It was great
to see Tiger come back strong."
Another one of the players Osanai upstaged was seven-time European number one
Colin Montgomerie who could only card 70 after suffering in humid conditions.
"It was tough.
I drank 18 bottles of water out there," said Montgomerie after finishing 10 strokes
off the lead with team mate Dean Robertson. "Anybody who came off the course feeling
great today, has something wrong with them."
However, Montgomerie did not ask Osanai how he felt after his round. Added the
Japanese: "It is such a good feeling I want to repeat it tomorrow!"
