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| Bowditch, Choi take Australian PGA first-round lead https://sabusinesshub.co.za/webforum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7513 |
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| Author: | coco [ Thu Feb 23, 2012 9:06 am ] |
| Post subject: | Bowditch, Choi take Australian PGA first-round lead |
Steven Bowditch and Choi Joon-woo shot rounds of 6-under-par 66 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead after the first day of the Australian PGA and outshine a strong field that includes British Open champion Darren Clarke and Americans Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler. Bowditch, playing in intermittent afternoon rain, birdied the 17th and 18th holes after a bogey on No. 16 at the Hyatt Regency resort course. Choi, who plays on the OneAsia tour and has no wins in a four-year pro career, had a chip-in from 90 meters for eagle on the 16th hole. (Ping G20 Tour Fairway Wood ) Watson and Australians Andre Stolz, Aaron Townsend and Aaron Baddeley had 67s, while Wu Kangchun of China was in a large group with 68s. Clarke and Fowler were three behind after 69s. Three International teammates at last week's Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne - Australia's Jason Day and South Koreans K.T. Kim and Y.E. Yang, also shot 69. U.S. Amateur champion Kelly Kraft started strongly, but shot 76 after back-to-back double bogeys on the back nine. Clarke was in the same group as Adam Scott (70) and Greg Norman (72). Scott made a huge recovery from his opening 40 - including a triple-bogey 6 on the par-3 11th - to shoot 6-under 30 coming home. Defending champion Peter Senior shot 70 and fellow Australian Geoff Ogilvy a 72. Bowditch, a SunshineCoast local who has been playing the Coolum course for 15 years, said ``it's in the best shape it's ever been in.'' ``They've narrowed a few fairways, the greens are firm and fast,'' said Bowditch, who made a 25-footer for birdie on 18 but had two three-puts on his first three holes. He'll leave on Monday for the final six rounds of the U.S. PGA Tour qualifying school in California. ``I'm in a fortunate situation, I have conditional status for 15 to 20 starts next year, and I've also got Nationwide,'' Bowditch said. ``The pressure will still be there, though.'' Scott had a rollercoaster of a round - nine birdies, a triple bogey, a double bogey and two bogeys. After a birdie on the 10th to open his round, his 6 on the par-3 third came after a ball in the water, one of three he plunked into ponds on his first nine. ``I played a little too aggressive on those opening holes, then after that, I had to play aggressive using my golf clubs |
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