Three golfers share Dunhill Masters lead
Three golfers share Dunhill Masters lead
JAKARTA (JP): Utilizing a simple strategy -- drinking as much water as possible and coolly play golf -- gave Swedish Mathias Gronberg a share lead with two players in the opening round of the Alfred Dunhill Masters at the Emeralda course yesterday.
Scorching heat and high humidity was almost unbearable for many golfers coming from Europe and some of them pulled out at a very early stage of yesterday's round.
But the 25-year-old Swede used the strategy that benefited him most.
In joint top spot with Gronberg are Australians Paul Gow and Craig Parry, each with a 66.
Gronberg, winner of this year's Canon Masters on the PGA European Tour was helped by eight single putts. "I played solidly," said Gronberg whose bogey-free round included birdies at all four of the par-fives.
It was an eventful day for the Swede who slept through his 5 a.m early morning call. He awoke four minutes before the 5:30 a.m. bus departed Shangri-La hotel for the approximately 30 minute bus ride to the course. Gronberg only had only time to spend 15 minutes on the practice range before teeing-off at 7:05 a.m.
"I spend two hours warming up before I play in Europe, but here you only have to go outside and you're warmed up," Gronberg jokingly said.
Despite the heat and humidity, a total of 44 players from the starting field of 116 bettered par.
Ian Woosnam and David Podlich share the fourth spot with 67, while Danny Zarate of the Philippines level with four Australians on 68.
Michael Campbell of New Zealand produced a strong finish to end with a 69, while Fijian Vijay Singh and German Alexander Cejka, fresh from a stunning victory in last week's Volvo Masters in Spain, both went home with even-par 72s.
Following his bogey-free 67, Woosnam, who confessed to disliking having to play in such humidity, made his victory intentions crystal clear.
"I haven't won this year and I'm desperate to win," said the Welshman, whose high point in 1995 was helping Europe win back the Ryder Cup at Oak Hill, New York, in September.
Selected results 66 - Mathias Gronberg (Swe), Paul Gow (Aus), Craig Parry (Aus) 67 - Ian Woosnam (Gbr), David Podlich (Aus) 68 - Evan Droop (Aus), Russel Swanson (Aus), Danny Zarate (Phi), Greg Chalmers (Aus), Scot Laycock (Aus) 69 - David Bransdon (Aus), Stuart Appleby (Aus), Simon Owen (Nzl), Chris Gray (Aus), Felix Casas (Phi), Darren Cole (Aus), Mark Allen (Aus), Michael Campbell (Nzl), Gaurav Ghei (Ind), Glen Joyner (Aus), Grant Kenny (Aus) 70 - Richard Lee (NzL), Andrew Bonhomme (Aus), Marcus Cain (Aus), Mark Mouland (Gbr), Neale Smith (Aus), Mamat Mardan (Sin), ... 71 - Ilyasyak (Ina), Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha)