The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Unsung golfers Hoey and Fleetwood outshine world’s best in Scotland
- Khe Wei and Vivian smash their way into first-ever final
- Kenneth hoping to be Malaysia’s best-ever finisher in amateur meet
| Unsung golfers Hoey and Fleetwood outshine world’s best in Scotland Posted: 01 Oct 2011 04:12 PM PDT CARNOUSTIE (Scotland): Unsung Tommy Fleetwood and Michael Hoey outshone the world's best in the Dunhill Links Championship by sharing a one–shot second round lead on Friday. England's Fleetwood, normally a Challenge Tour player, and Northern Irishman Hoey were the halfway frontrunners on 12–under 132. Fleetwood's 63 at Kingsbarns was one stroke off world number two Lee Westwood's 2003 course record, while Hoey, also at Kingsbarns, added a second 66. The pair were one stroke better than the 2010 British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen (67). The 20–year–old Fleetwood, ranked 202nd in the world, lost out in the final at Turnberry in 2008 to Dutchman Reiner Saxton when he was poised to be the youngest winner of the British amateur title. Since turning professional, he has had to ply his trade on the Challenge Tour and this year he has swept all before him on the lower–tiered Tour, winning the Kazakhstan Open three weeks ago and heading the rankings, making a full Tour card a certainty next year. "I know where I'm playing next year and that's given me confidence," Fleetwood told reporters after picking up nine birdies in a faultless round. "My name is in pretty good company right now. "I had chances to win on the Challenge Tour and finally got it done in Kazakhstan, let's see if I can do it on the bigger stage," Fleetwood added. Hoey, 271st in the rankings, took the British amateur title in 2001 but struggled to make any impact in the professional ranks until winning the 2009 Portuguese Open. He then added the Madeira Islands Open title in May. "Landing a really big title has obviously been a long–time goal," Hoey, 32, said. "I led this tournament a couple of years ago after two rounds so I've had the experience before. "My putting has improved with a new coach and a new putter, so I'm hopeful this will be my week." Oosthuizen had his week last year at St Andrews and the South African, with two rounds at the course to come, is hoping to do well again there. "I've had a pretty thin time of it over the last few months but perhaps St Andrews will be kind to me again," he said. The 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell was in a large group two shots off the pace. McDowell was also hoping to turn back the clock at the Old Course where in 2004 he posted a course-record 62. Two bogeys in the last three holes dropped world number six and defending champion Martin Kaymer three shots off the pace. World number one Luke Donald hit 71 to put himself eight shots behind the top duo, losing ground on his world-ranking and money-list rivals, Westwood and Rory McIlroy, who were both five shots adrift. – Reuters |
| Khe Wei and Vivian smash their way into first-ever final Posted: 01 Oct 2011 04:06 PM PDT PETALING JAYA: The much improved pair of Woon Khe Wei-Vivian Hoo finally qualified for their first ever final appearance when they smashed past their Thai opponents in the semi-finals of the Indonesian Open GP Gold at East Kalimantan yesterday. Khe Wei-Vivian twice came close to reaching their first career final in the Thailand Open back in May and the Taiwan Open last month only to falter in the semi-finals. This time, however, the young pair made no mistake as they led from start to finish against Sujitra Ekmongkolpaisarn-Punyada Munkitchokecharoen winning 21-12, 21-13 in just 29 minutes. It was a tremendous effort from the Khe Wei-Vivian who have really stepped up a gear and shown great improvement lately. "Khe Wei and Vivian have really improved a lot. Their results of late is testimony of that and I'm happy that they managed to reach their first final," said Badminton Association of Malaysia secretary Ng Chin Chai. "I'm also happy at how they've pick up themselves over the past year and they can really develop into a top pair in two to three years time. When Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty retire in the future, Khe Wei-Vivian have the potential to replace them." Chin Chai also said that the second tier shuttlers in the national squad have also been making good progress and there is still a chance to win medals in the Jakarta SEA Games later in November. "There is no sure bet for the gold medal but if these players continue improving, we could still have a chance," said Chin Chai. Meanwhile, Khe Wei-Vivian will have a tough hurdle in today's final if they are to win their first ever Open title. They will take on eighth seeds Bao Yixin-Zhong Qianxin of China, a pair they have never played before although Khe Wei-Vivian faced Bao Yixin once when she partnered Cheng Shu back in the Thailand Open in May. They lost that match. In other results, Taufik Hidayat's woeful form continued when he was easily beaten by compatriot Tommy Sugiarto 10-21, 15-21. The seventh seeded Sugiarto will take on compatriot Dionysius Hayom Rumbakain an all-Indonesian men's singles final. RESULTS Men's Singles: Tommy Sugiarto (Ina) bt Taufik Hidayat (Ina) 21-10, 21-15; Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka (Ina) bt Alamsyah Yunus (Ina) 24-22, 20-22, 21-13. Men's Doubles: Mohd Ahsan-Bona Septano (Ina) w.o. Fang Chieh Min-Lee Sheng Mu (Tpe); Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa (Jpn) bt Yohannes Rendy Sugiarto-Afiat Yuris Wirawan (Ina) 21-16, 21-18. Women's Doubles: Woon Khe Wei-Vivian Hoo (Mas) bt Sujitra Ekmongkolpaisarn-Punyada Munkitchokecharoen (Tha) 21-12, 21-13; Bao Yixin-Zhong Qianxin (Chn) bt Anneke Feinya Agustin-Nitya Maheshwari (Ina) 21-17, 21-18. |
| Kenneth hoping to be Malaysia’s best-ever finisher in amateur meet Posted: 01 Oct 2011 04:05 PM PDT SINGAPORE: Malaysia's Kenneth de Silva managed to stay with the frontrunners in the Asian Amateur Championship at the New Course of the Singapore Island Country Club despite carding his worst round of one-over 73 yesterday. The 20-year-old Kenneth's three-day total of seven-under 209 puts him seven strokes behind leader Ben Campbell of New Zealand going into today's final round. Kenneth, admitted he struggled to get his game going. "Today (yesterday), I could not direct my shots on the fairways. I also struggled with my putting. I am really fortunate that I stayed on course by scoring par on the last nine holes. I missed several short putts towards the end of the day," he added. Although the Malaysian youngster started his campaign in the company of Campbell and Australia's Cameron Smith, Kenneth only returned with a birdie from the long par-five ninth hole and had bogeys on the par-four first and fifth holes. However, Kenneth still fancies his chances in his pursuit to become Malaysia's best-ever finisher in the series. Compatriot Mohd Iszaimi Ismail was the best Malaysian performer in seventh spot at China in 2009 while Mohd Iylia Jamil came in at a respectable 13th position in Japan last year. "It is still an open affair going into the decisive day. I am confident of doing better. I just need to pull up my socks and make the chances count especially when it comes to the simple short putts. I feel that I am still in good shape physically and mentally to end on a high note," said Kenneth. Meanwhile, overnight leader 20-year-old Campbell from New Zealand stayed on top of the leaderboard with a three-day total of 14-under 202. Defending champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan shot a seven-under 65 for a 13-under 203 total to remain a stroke adrift of the leader. Malaysia's two up-and-coming talents – Low Khai Jei and Paul San – from the Under-15 age-group are also in the fray for the final round. The 15-year-old Khai Jei posted a praiseworthy three-under 213 while the 14-year-old Paul is at the bottom of the field with a seven-over 223. RESULTS Leading third round scores: 202: Ben Campbell (Nzl) 67-66-69; 203: Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn) 67-71-65; 206: Cameron Smith (Aus) 68-69-69; 207:Lee Soo-min (Kor) 65-72-70; 208: Vaughan McCall (Nzl) 69-72-67, Masamichi Ito (Jpn) 70-70-68; 209: Ryan Fox (Nzl) 69-70-70, Kenneth de Silva (Mas) 67-69-73; 210: Yosuke Asaji (Jpn) 69-74-67; 211: Matthew Stieger (Aus) 70-72-69. Selected Malaysians: 213: Low Khai Jei 73-69-71; 223: Paul San 76-74-73. |
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