HONOLULU, Hawaii, 18 January 2004 — Arizona-based Aussie Steve Allan seized the lead at the Sony Open on Friday with an eight-under-par 62 that included a closing eagle, completing his best round as a professional for a one-stroke advantage.
Allan finished his round with a flourish at the par-five ninth, where he landed a six-iron within 30 feet and made the putt.
Allan was finished long before prodigy Michelle Wie even teed off, and his 11-under 129 through 36 holes was one stroke better than Harrison Frazar. Defending champion Ernie Els trailed by two, with Luke Donald three shots back.
The top four all played in the morning, leaving the spotlight for 14-year-old Wie, the schoolgirl phenomenon who shot an astonishing 68 but missed the cut by one stroke.
Unlike last year, when Els started the season with victories at the first two events, he has taken a while to warm to his task this time. He took all of December off, barely touching a club, to recover from the rigors of a long year that included a tense, emotionally draining playoff with Tiger Woods at the Presidents Cup.
Not surprisingly, Els finished ahead of just nine players at last week’s 30-man Mercedes Championship.
“The difference between this week and last week is the rust is coming off my game,” said the third-ranked player in the world. “I’m hitting the ball a lot better than last week. Last week, I wasn’t quite on top of it and I knew that.” He also made a few, compiling six birdies.
Allan, the 2002 Australian Open champion, did his damage early and late in his round. He birdied his first three holes, and also picked up three shots in his final three as he finished birdie, par, eagle.
He played right up until Christmas in his native country, but still was not sure what to expect this week, after having a short break.
“I knew my game this year would be in good shape, but I wasn’t sure if it would be this week,” he said. “My short game has been great and my putting particularly good. I have holed out well from short range.” His best result on the US tour was a tie for second at Milwaukee last year, so this is rather lofty territory. “When I’m playing well, I can match it with the best players, but I don’t do it often enough,” he said. “If Ernie or Vijay (Singh) or Tiger (Woods) is in contention, I don’t imagine they would be particularly nervous or uncomfortable, but if you only do it two or three times a year, you’re pretty nervous.”
Dodd Eagles His Way to Early Lead in S. Africa
In Somerset West, South Africa, Briton Stephen Dodd started the third round of the South African Open with a birdie and an eagle to move to nine-under par for the early lead yesterday.
He eagled the par-five third, the easiest hole at the Erinvale Golf Club and then added a birdie at the par-four fourth to hold a one-stroke lead over Denmark’s Anders Hansen. The Dane also started briskly, carding a birdie on the second and an eagle on the third.
Overnight leaders Alastair Forsyth from Britain and South Africans Nico van Rensburg and Craig Lile had played two holes. Lile and Forsyth both dropped a shot on the first to fall back to six-under.
South African teenager Charl Schwartzel showed his class with a seven-under 65 to take the clubhouse lead at four-under 212.
The 19-year-old had nine birdies and two bogies, one a result of a three-putt from 15 feet on the par-four 10th.
Colin Montgomerie carded a three-under 69 for the round to move back to one under for the tournament.
After placing himself in contention with a four-under 68 in the first round the Briton struggled in the powerful wind during Friday’s second round shooting 78.
Defending champion Trevor Immelman from South Africa, who started the day at four-under, dropped a shot on the first but eagled the third to move up to five-under.
Lee Westwood was two-under for the tournament after a front nine of 35 that included three birdies and two bogies.
