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)