Australian Percey takes lead in Sabah Masters<\/p>\n
TAWAU, Sabah (Agencies): Australian Adrian Percey fired an
\neagle and four birdies for a six-under-par 66 to take the first
\nround lead in the Sabah Masters at Shan-Shui Golf and Country
\nClub yesterday.<\/p>\n
In what is the first visit of the year by the Asian PGA's
\nOmega Tour to Malaysia, Percey leads by a stroke from Thailand-
\nbased Scotsman Simon Yates and Taiwan's Lu Chien-soon who
\nreturned 67s.<\/p>\n
For the past 18 months, Percey, has been sponsored by an
\nAustralian, Peter Cantwell, who owns a beach resort in Kota
\nKinabalu, Sabah, and today benefited from his sponsor's knowledge
\nof the Shan-Shui layout.<\/p>\n
On the 535-yard par-five 13th Percey, made an eagle three,
\nafter remembering Cantwell's advice to always go for the green in
\ntwo on the hole.<\/p>\n
\"Peter told me not to hold back on number 13. It is reachable.
\nI had a slightly uphill lie with my second. It was about 205
\nyards and I hit my three iron to 15 feet and sank the putt,\" said
\n26-year-old Percey.<\/p>\n
Percey is looking for his second win on the Omega Tour after
\nhaving recorded the biggest victory of his career last year when
\nhe won the Dubai Creek Open.<\/p>\n
Percey's round set a new course record over Shan-Shui's 7,257
\nyard layout which, opened just nine months ago, has received
\noutstanding reviews by the players.<\/p>\n
Yates, who in between events on the Omega Tour lives in Hua
\nHin, Thailand, has been practising his wedge play for the past
\ntwo months during the Tour's summer break and was rewarded with
\ntwo chip-ins today.<\/p>\n
He holed out from off the green for a two on the par-three
\nthird and made another birdie on number 12 where he holed an L-
\nwedge from 10 yards.<\/p>\n
American Gerry Norquist, a three-time winner on the Omega
\nTour, fired a 68 and lies fourth with Korea's Bong Tae-ha and
\nJapan's Shoichi Kita.<\/p>\n
Yuhara<\/p>\n
In Tano, Japan, Japanese veteran pro Nobumitsu Yuhara shot an
\n8-under-par 64 yesterday and took a one-stroke first-round lead
\nin the 100 million yen (US$690,000) Sanko Grand Summer
\nchampionship.<\/p>\n
The 40-year-old Yuhara, seeking his seventh title on the Japan
\nPGA tour, shot six birdies and one eagle on the 7,066-yard, par-
\n72 Sanko 72 Country Club course.<\/p>\n
At 65 was Masakazu Noritake, still seeking his first victory
\nin eight years as a pro.<\/p>\n
Defending champion Shoichi Kuwabara shot a 66 and was tied for
\nthird with Hirofumi Miyase.<\/p>\n
Kim Jong-duck of South Korea shot a 67 and was tied for fifth
\nwith three Japanese - Katsumasa Miyamoto, Shingo Katayama and
\nNobuo Serizawa.<\/p>\n
Results<\/p>\n
Sabah Masters:
\n 66 - Adrian Percey (Aus)
\n 67 - Simon Yates (Sco), Lu Chien-Soon (Tpe)
\n 68 - Gerry Norquist (USA), Bong Tae-ha (Kor), Shoichi Kita (Jpn)
\n 69 - Bjorn Flygare (Swe), Chris Williams (Gbr), Mo Joong-kyung
\n(Kor), Park No-seok (Kor), Gilberto Morales (Ven)
\n 70 - Jerry Smith (USA), Des Terblanche (Rsa), Peter Teravainen
\n(USA), Andrew Pitts (USA), Muhammed Munir (Pak), Choi Kyung-
\nju (Kor), Jamnian Chitprasong (Tha), Lu Wei-Lan (Tpe)
\n 71 - Tsai Chi-Huang (Tpe), Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha), Eric Rustand
\n(USA), Prayad Marksaeng (Tha), Peter Fowler (Aus), Grant
\nDodd (Aus)
\n 72 - Masashige Shinoda (Jpn), Danny Zarate (Phi), Carlos Espinosa
\n(Mex), Hideki Sugimoto (Jpn), Imdad Hussain (Pak)<\/p>\n
Sanko Grand Summer (Japanese unless stated):
\n 64 - Nobumitsu Yuhara 33-31
\n 65 - Masakazu Noritake 33-32
\n 66 - Shoichi Kuwabara 34-32, Hirofumi Miyase 32-34
\n 67 - Katsumasa Miyamoto 33-34, Kim Jong-duck (Kor) 35-32, Shingo
\nKatayama 36-31, Nobuo Serizawa 35-32
\n 68 - Shigemasa Higaki 32-36, Hideki Kase 34-34, Ryoken Kawagishi
\n34-34, Takeshi Sakiyama 34-34, Masayoshi Yamazoe 34-34,
\nKazuo Kaneyama 36-32, Joji Furuki 35-33<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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