Poulter, McDowell through to last 16

CASARES, Spain: Defending champion Ian Poulter and past US Open winner Graeme McDowell are through to the last 16 no matter the outcome of their second-round robin matches in the Volvo World Match-Play Championship in Spain.
Poulter is assured a place in today’s start to the knock-out stage of the 2.75million euro event after fellow Englishman Tom Lewis defeated Australia’s John Senden 1 up yesterday on the Finca Cortesin course.
Poulter still has to play Lewis later yesterday in the final match of the round robin format of the event, but no matter who wins both will go through to the last 16.
What only remains to be decided is whether Poulter or Lewis finish top of their group.
Poulter had defeated Senden on day one, meaning the Australian is out of the competition.
McDowell is playing South African Jbe Kruger who squared his match yesterday morning with Sweden’s Robert Karlsson.
It means that if McDowell does lose to Kruger he will advance to the final 16 as Karlsson did not win any of his two round robin encounters.
Scotland’s Paul Lawrie also booked his place in the last 16 despite squaring his match with Columbian Camilo Villegas.
“It was tricky out there in the wind this morning but the match was poor and both of us played horrible golf,” said Lawrie.
“I was two down there at one stage but three holes in a row from the 12th but Camilo then won 17 with a lovely shot into the hole.”
Lawrie had defeated Sweden’s Peter Hanson on day one and Hanson will now play Villegas this afternoon to decide who joins Lawrie.
Also through to the last 16 is Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello who has won both his matches including defeating England’s Richard Finch 4 and 2 earlier Friday.
In other second round matches Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn defeated South African Branden Grace 2 and 1; Spain’s Alvaro Quiros defeated Japan’s Tetsuji Hiratsuka 5 and 4; England’s Robert Rock defeated Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke 2 up and South African Retief Goosen defeated Belguim’s Nicolas Colsaerts 1 up.
And Italy’s Matteo Manassero is 15,000 euros richer without even teeing-up in Spain.
The double Tour winner has been at the course all week as first reserve into the event but as no player had withdrawn the teenage Italian was not required to play.
Three share lead in South Korea
In Jeju Island, South Korea, Park Sang-Hyun shot a seven-under-par 65 yesterday to grab a share of the lead with fellow South Korean Kim Bi-O and Indonesian Rory Hie after two rounds of the SK Telecom Open.
The trio are eight-under with two-round totals of 136 at Pinx Golf Club, on the South Korean holiday island of Jeju, the fourth stop on OneAsia’s 2012 schedule and offering a purse of about $900,000.
They lie two ahead of South Korean Kang Min-Woong and New Zealander Mark Brown, and a further stroke in front of a handful of players including Hu Mu from China and American Garrett Sapp.
US PGA stalwart K.J. Choi, arguably the best player Asia has ever produced, ensured he would remain the star attraction at the weekend by shooting one-under to leave him at level par and safe from a cut set at two-over par.
Overnight leader Bi-O, winner of the GS Caltex Maekyung in Seoul last week and second on the OneAsia Order of Merit, fired a 68 to match his opening round and stay well in the hunt for back-to-back titles.
“Yesterday I had a few issues with my driver but putted really well,” Bi-O told One Asia. He is also the reigning Nanshan China Masters champion on OneAsia.
The round of the day belonged to Park, however, who challenged Bi-O for 54 holes last week before finishing in fourth place. He attributed his flawless performance to working out and getting married.
“I am so much more at peace this year,” he said.
Park heads into uncharted territory this weekend, however, having never made it to the fourth round of a tournament on Jeju Island. Last year’s event was cut to three rounds because of fog.
“The weather here in Jeju is so unpredictable. I hope I play well tomorrow and will think about Sunday when it comes,” he said.