Ruangkit guns for Singh in Volvo Matchplay
Ruangkit guns for Singh in Volvo Matchplay
JAKARTA (JP): Thailand's Boonchu Ruangkit set up a second
round showdown with Jeev Milkha Singh of India, who beat him in
last year's final, in the Volvo Asian Matchplay Championships at
the Emeralda Golf and Country Club yesterday.
Ruangkit earned the rematch in the Omega Tour event after
narrowly overcoming first round opponent Paul Friedlander of
Swaziland by one hole.
The 40-year-old Thai won after making a par four on the last
against a bogey by Friedlander, who hooked his tee shot into the
trees on the left and was forced to chip out onto the fairway.
"The most Friedlander was ahead for the first 10 holes was two
up so I always thought I could get back into the game," Ruangkit,
winner of the Omega Tour's Lexus International in Thailand in
September, said.
In the upset of the day over the 7,090-yard par-72, which was
designed by Arnold Palmer, Korea's Choi Kyung-ju beat Thammanoon
Sriroj of Thailand on the 21st hole.
Sriroj, who finished third on this year's Omega Order of Merit
after recording two wins, was three up with three to play but
finished with three bogeys in a row while Choi took the match
into overtime with three pars.
Choi and Sriroj halved the first two extra holes, the first
and second, with pars before Choi won the match on the third with
a par four.
Sriroj bogeyed the 21st hole following a poor second shot from
150-yards that came up 10 yards short of the green. He chipped up
and missed from five feet.
South African Richard Kaplan showed some of the good form that
won him the Omega Tour's Royal Classic in Thailand last month by
crushing compatriot Craig Kamps six and four.
Kaplan was three under for the day when he closed out the
match on the 14th while Kamps finished four over. After they had
halved the first two holes, Kaplan ran away with the match
winning the next five holes.
"I won the third, fourth and fifth with pars and then birdied
the next two.
Craig struggled today, he couldn't really get it going,"
Kaplan said.
In other matches, Australian Jeff Wagner defeated Korea's Kwon
Oh-chull five and three, Kenny Walker of Scotland beat American
Eric Rustand four and three, John Kernohan of the USA defeated
Glenn Joyner of Australia four and three, Thailand's Thaworn
Wiratchant beat Felix Casas of the Philippines three and two, and
South African Nico van Rensburg beat Paul Foley of Australia by
one hole.
The first round winners square up against the eight seeded
players today. (yan)