MILAN, 3 May 2004 — Sweden’s Joakim Haeggman produced a blistering finish to the Italian Open second round yesterday, setting up the chance of a second title of the year as he surged to within a stroke of leader Angel Cabrera of Argentina.
Cabrera had set a seemingly unattainable target of 14-under-par 130 in the lightning-interrupted event on Saturday, firing a nine-under-par 63 to move two clear of Britain’s Graeme McDowell.
However Haeggman, winner of the Qatar Masters in March, nearly caught the Argentine with a brilliant putting display and a second-round 64 after returning to the course to birdie five of the last six holes, single-putting all six.
That catapulted the 34-year-old Swede into second place at 13 under and in with a chance of clinching his fourth European Tour title in his 15th season.
With the tournament cut to 54 holes because of weather interruptions, Cabrera holds a one-shot advantage going into final round as he bids for his third title.
The ex-caddie from Cordoba shot the best round of the week the previous day, a 63 that would have been the Tolcinasco course record but for the preferred lies available on the soaked course.
Thomas Levet also finished in style, collecting an eagle and birdie to join McDowell in a tie for third at 12 under in his bid to make it back-to-back French wins following Christian Cevaer’s Canaries Spanish Open victory last week.
Indian Rookie Gangjee Wins Volkswagen Masters China
In Beijing, Indian rookie Rahil Gangjee won his first Asian Tour title yesterday after holding his nerve to win the inaugural Volkswagen Masters China in a sudden-death playoff.
The 25-year-old showed the poise of a veteran at Pine Valley Golf Club to emerge victorious after a pulsating final round which saw at least seven players in with a chance of winning the $300,000 event.
Gangjee and South Korea’s Mo Joong-kyung finished tied on 15-under-par 273 after rounds of 68 and 66 respectively. The unheralded Indian triumphed in the first playoff hole with a par on the 18th hole after Mo found trouble in the greenside trap. South Korea’s Mo sent his approach shot in the play-off into the greenside bunker and failed to find the putting green with his third shot. After Mo’s chip for par slipped by the hole, Gangjee safely two-putted from 15 feet to finish ahead of joint third-place finishers Phillip Price of Wales, Koreas Kang Wook-soon and Aussie duo Richard Moir and Adam Groom.
Song Seizes One-Stroke Lead Over Kim
In Stockbridge, Georgia, Thailand’s Aree Song celebrated her 18th birthday by firing a two-under par 70 Saturday to seize a one-stroke lead over South Korea’s Kim Mi-hyun after the third round of a $1.6 million LPGA tournament.
A birdie on both the front and back nine along with 16 pars boosted second-round co-leader Song into sole possession of the lead, the teen prodigy standing on 11-under par 205 after 72 holes.
Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam, who has won two of her first three starts this year, was two strokes off the pace alongside Australian Rachel Teske, Spain’s Lorena Ochoa, Britain’s Becky Morgan and South Koreans Pak Se Ri and Grace Park, who won the year’s first major.
Ellis Retains Lead at Weather-Hit New Orleans Classic
American Danny Ellis held on to his lead as the second round of the weather-disrupted New Orleans Classic was finally completed yesterday.
Ellis, on 15-under-par 129, led compatriot Charles Howell III by one shot at the English Turn Golf and Country Club.
Masters champion Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, Paul Azinger, Craig Bowden, Ken Duke and Ryan Palmer shared third place on 132. Japan’s Hidemichi Tanaka, Joe Ogilvie, David Sutherland and Bob Burns were tied for ninth on 133.
Vijay Singh climbed into contention with a seven-under 65 in the second round, while among those joining the world number two on 135 are US Ryder Cup captain Hal Sutton, defending champion Steve Flesch and 2002 champion K.J. Choi of South Korea.
