LOS ANGELES, 22 February 2004 — After shooting two rounds worthy of a defending champion, Mike Weir says he is finally getting a proper feel for the Riviera Country Club course.
The 33-year-old left-handed Canadian shot a round that included one eagle, six birdies and just 25 putts on Friday to take a share of the lead with Japan’s Shigeki Maruyama at the $4.8 million PGA Nissan Open. Weir and Maruyama moved to 12-under 130 to equal a 36-hole tournament record set by Davis Love in 1992. They have a one-shot lead over Americans Scott McCarron and Briny Baird.
John Daly, who won his first tournament on US soil in a decade last week in San Diego, is just two strokes back in fifth after shooting 64. Australia’s Stuart Appleby shot a seven-under 64 and is four strokes back.
World No. 1 Tiger Woods opened with an eagle and nearly had a hole-in-one on 16 but he is eight strokes back of Weir and Maruyama. Weir, the reigning Masters champion, played the last seven holes in five-under. He hit 17 of 28 fairways.
Weir missed the cut three times at the Riviera before taking the title last year in a playoff over American Charles Howell.
Notable players who didn’t make the cut include, American David Toms, Zimbabwe’s Nick Price, Australia’s Stephen Leaney and Esteban Toledo of Mexico.
Ilonen Moves Into Second Round Lead in Malaysia
In Kuala Lumpur, Finland’s Mikko Ilonen forged a one-shot lead, on eight-under-par, after the completion of the rain interrupted second round of the Carlsberg Malaysian Open yesterday.
Ilonen was among 75 players, or half the field, who returned to the Saujana course early in the morning to resume their second round after torrential rain halted play abruptly on Friday.
The 24-year-old Ilonen, winner of the 2000 British Amateur championship, recorded an eagle and six birdies in his round of a six-under-par 66 to finish at eight-under 136 in the co-sanctioned Asian and European Tour event. Ilonen overhauled Thailand’s Thaworn Wirarchant and Korea’s Lee Sung-man who had completed their second rounds on Friday.
Ireland’s Paul McGinley and American Gregory Hanrahan are tied in fourth place on six-under-par whilst Colin Montgomerie birdied his last two holes on yesterday morning in a round of 66 to stand at five-under-par.
Seven other players are locked on five under including Frenchman Thomas Levet, Sweden’s Robert Karlsson and Australia’s Terry Price.
Among those to miss the one-over-par halfway cut was England’s Simon Dyson, winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2000 and America’s Jerry Norquist, a former Malaysian Open winner.
Walters Leads South Australian Open at Kooyonga
Australian Euan Walters carded a one-under 70 to snare the third-round lead of the South Australian Open at Kooyonga here yesterday.
Walters, who will start today’s final round at six-under in the event co-sanctioned with the US Nationwide Tour, lead by a stroke from compatriots, Mathew Goggin, Anthony Painter and Matthew Ecob on five-under.
Former US PGA champion Wayne Grady was lurking with three others at four-under par.
Els Withdraws From San Diego Match Play
World No. 3 Ernie Els has pulled out of next week’s World Golf Championship Match Play event in San Diego so he can spend time with his family. The 34-year-old South African said Friday he decided to withdraw because his 4-year-old daughter Samantha is starting school in London.
