Terblanche takes slim lead in Volvo matchplay

By Bobby Alan Wilson

CLARKFIELD, Philippines (JP): South Africa's Des Terblanche takes a slim lead into the second stage of the Volvo Asian Matchplay Championship final tomorrow after holing out from 30 feet yesterday with his last putt of the afternoon.

After conceding a three-foot putt for par to rival Brett Partridge of Australia, the powerful South African kept his nose in front when his monster putt secured him a half on the 18th hole of the 36-hole final.

"I fluffed my chip on to the 18th green and I was lucky to sink that putt and half the hole," said Terblanche. "There's still a lot of golf to be played tomorrow and a one hole lead isn't much of an advantage with 18 holes left to play -- it's still anybody's game."

With the lead twice swapping hands over the first 12 holes, Terblanche looked to have seized the initiative when he went two up with consecutive pars on the 14th and 15th.

A par by Terblanche on the par three 16th left him two up and with two to play, but he saw his lead reduced to a solitary hole on the 17th after he made bogey to Partridge's par, before fortune smiled on the 32-year-old with his par on the final hole.

"Although we both started quite well, we played some pretty ordinary golf out there today and it was a battle all afternoon," said Partridge, who finished sixth in last week's New Zealand Open.

Split

"I've never played a split 36-hole match like this before and haven't really thought about my strategy. If I was three or four down then the overnight delay may have been to my advantage. But I'm only one down and still in with a good chance. It will be a totally different game tomorrow."

Terblanche reached the 36-hole final of the Omega Tour's US$250,000 season-closing event with a convincing 3&2 victory over local favorite Felix Casas of the Philippines earlier in the day.

"I didn't play that well this morning but I managed to score well," added Terblanche of his semifinal. "I was poor off the tee, but I had some good up-and-downs thanks to some strong putting."

Partridge, meanwhile, edged-out Myanmar's Zaw Moe by a solitary hole in the other semifinal. All square with one to play, Partridge booked his berth in the final with a 15 foot birdie putt on the final hole.

Foursome

Meanwhile, in the semifinals of the Hugo Boss Foursomes, Gerry Norquist and Christian Pena defeated Peter Mitchell of England and Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng by one hole.

The American duo will meet Englishman Ed Fryatt and Scott Laycock of Australia in today's final after they defeated Myanmar's Zaw Moe and the unfortunate Casas, who lost out in his second semifinal of the day.

Results

Volvo Asian Matchplay -- Semifinals: Des Terblanche (RSA) def. Felix Casas (PHI) by 3-and-2 Brett Partridge (AUS) def. Zaw Moe (MYN) by 1 hole

Volvo Asian Matchplay -- Final (18 of 36 holes played) Des Terblanche (RSA) leads Brett Partridge (AUS) 1 up

Hugh Boss Foursomes -- Round 2: Gerry Norquist (USA) and Christian Pena (USA) def. Paul Foley (AUS) and Larry Barber (USA) by 1 hole Prayad Marksaeng (THA) and Peter Mitchell (ENG) def. Ted Purdy (USA) and Park No-soek (KOR) by 3-and-2 Scott Laycock (AUS) and Ed Fryatt (ENG) def. Cheng Jun (PRC) and Jerry Smith (USA) by 2-and-1

Hugh Boss Foursomes -- Semifinal: Gerry Norquist (USA) and Christian Pena (USA) def. Prayad Marksaeng (THA) and Peter Mitchell (ENG) by 1 hole Scott Laycock (AUS) and Ed Fryatt (ENG) def. Felix Casas (PHI) and Zaw Moe (MYN) by 2-and-1