SINGAPORE, 10 September 2005 — Australia’s Andrew Buckle shot the best round of the week at the Singapore Open yesterday to move into a share of the lead on six-under-par 136 with American Edward Michaels at the halfway stage of the tournament. Teeing off in the morning, Buckle registered seven birdies on his way to a six-under 65, with a bogey at the last costing him an opportunity to own sole possession of first place on a sweltering day on the Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course.
Michaels picked up four birdies on the back nine in his four-under 67 as he and Buckle pulled two shots clear of New Zealand’s Mahal Pearce, who shot a creditable 70.
One shot further back are a group of four players, including pre-tournament favorite Adam Scott, the Australian firing a solid two-under 69 to join compatriot Nick O’Hern, first-round co-leader Anthony Kang of the US and South Korea’s Ted Oh.
World No. 7 Scott is the highest-ranked player in the $2 million event and he enjoyed a fairly trouble-free round to move into contention for a second Asian title of the season after April’s Johnnie Walker Classic victory in Beijing.
Returning after a three-year hiatus as the richest Open on the Asian Tour, the event has attracted a strong field and includes four invited international players, Australians Scott, O’Hern and Craig Parry and Britain’s Lee Westwood.
With its narrow fairways, deep rough and greens speeding up under the baking sun, the course looks set to become a stiffer test over the weekend and O’Hern did well to haul himself up the leaderboard with three birdies in the last four holes for a 68.
Westwood stands at even par for the tournament after a second straight 71, a score he will be disappointed with after reaching the turn on three under. World No. 61 Parry struggled in his round and a bogey, double-bogey finish capped a three-over 74 that put him outside the top-20 on two over par.
Olazabal, Wall Lead
German Masters
In Cologne, Germany, Jose Maria Olazabal, seeking his first win of the season, fired a seven-under-par 65 to grab a share of the lead after the second round of the German Masters yesterday.
The Spaniard’s eight-birdie display put the twice former US Masters champion on 11-under 133 alongside Britain’s Anthony Wall, whose 62 was two strokes off the Gut Larchenhof course record. Olazabal and Wall were one shot in front of Briton Paul Casey (67). South African Retief Goosen shared fourth place on 135 with Zimbabwean Marc Cayeux and British duo David Lynn and Nick Dougherty.
In the race to be top of the order of merit on Sunday night, number two Goosen has the edge after a 68 pushed him five ahead of number one Michael Campbell (69).
Goosen, winner of the European money list in 2001 and 2002, is only $185,000 behind New Zealander Campbell and the first prize this week is $627,000.
With $16 million in prize money on offer in four events over the next five weeks, including next week’s World Match Play Championship and the WGC American Express Championship in San Francisco, Goosen has been sharpening his swing in a bid to make it a hat-trick of orders of merit.
Argentine Angel Cabrera, lying fourth on the money list, can also force his way to the top but number three Colin Montgomerie’s chance has gone. The Scot missed the cut by two strokes after a 72 for 144, level par.
Calcavecchia, Glover Set Pace
In Vancouver, British Columbia, Former British Open champion Mark Calcavecchia and unheralded Lucas Glover grabbed a share of the first round lead at the Canadian Open on Thursday while title holder Vijay Singh made an unsteady return from a back injury.
Calcavecchia, in his 20th season on the US PGA Tour and Glover, in just his second, took advantage of ideal afternoon conditions at the Shaughnessy Golf Club to card matching five-under 65s. Lurking one shot back of the two Americans is Sweden’s Jesper Parnevik (66) with Brandt Jobe, Scott Dunlap, Ted Purdy and 2004 British Open champion Todd Hamilton all one-stroke further adrift at three-under 67.
Chasing his first win since 2001, Calcavecchia, the 1989 British Open winner, mixed six birdies with a single bogey to reach his 65 on the tree-lined layout. Glover, who has six top 10s this season but has also missed the cut in 11 of 21 events, had a much more volatile day with eight birdies offset by a double-bogey and a bogey.
Singh, returning to action after ruling himself out of last week’s title defense at the Deutsche Bank Championship with a sore back, never found his rhythm, returning a three-over 73 to sit eight shots off the pace.
