Ireland maintain World Cup lead

They weren’t able to match their opening round score, but the Irish pair of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell still hold a three shot lead over the rest of the field after a second round 68 at the Omega Mission Hills World Cup.

It was always going to be a tough ask for the pair to match Thursday’s astonishing round, and they had to fight hard for their four-under par second round. All the signs point to a formidable duo which, should they both make it, should continue into the Ryder Cup at The Celtic Manor next year.

Opening up a five shot lead around the turn, they might well have disappeared over the horizon but they were pegged back by defending champions Sweden, whose pairing of Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson scored a combined total of 65. Their charge was helped by McDowell finding a water hazard on the 15th hole and an unwelcome reappearance for McIlroy’s short-putting problem; the Irishman missing from two feet for a double bogey.

However, back-to-back birdies on the next two holes saw the Irish pair rebuild their three-shot lead at the top of the leaderboard although Stenson and Karlsson also recorded late birdies to hang onto the leaders’ coat-tails.

The Italian pair of the Molinari brothers – Francesco and Edoarado – are a further shot behind in third place.

England’s Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher sit tied for ninth alongside South Africa, India and New Zealand after a 70 but are nine shots off the pace, while Germany are a further two shots back. Spain, meanwhile languish well off the pace at four under par and are ahead of only Scotland, Brazil and Pakistan.

Ireland take the lead in World Cup

China’s Mission Hills Golf Resort hosts the Omega-sponsored World Cup and Ireland’s pairing of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell came within one shot of equalling the record score in their first round.

The duo scored a combined total of 14-under par for a first round 58 to take a three shot lead on a day in which the pair scored 12 birdies and an eagle between them. McIlroy and McDowell combined together to shoot 29 on both the outward and inward halves of the resort’s Olazabal course.

The tournament, which follows an alternating fourball/foursomes format began with a four-ball which sees each team member play their own ball with the lowest score on each hole being counted. The Irish duo’s round of 58 falls one shot short of the record – 57 – which is held jointly by three teams. Ireland hasn’t won the World Cup since Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley were victorious in 1997.

McIlroy and McDowell have proven to be a formidable twosome when they play together. The pair were 3-1 as a team during Great Britain & Ireland’s Vivendi Trophy triumph and should they both make Colin Montgomerie’s team, would be likely to renew their partnership for the 2010 Ryder Cup Match at The Celtic Manor, Wales.

Argentinian pair Rafa Echenique and Tano Goya occupy second place following a joint 11-under par 61 and held the lead until overhauled by the Northern Ireland pair. Japan are in third place after Ryuji Imada and Hiroyuki Fujita carded a 10-under par total.

Defending champions Sweden – represented by Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson – share fourth place on eight-under par with Canada (Graham Delaer, Stuart Anderson); South Korea (Charlie Wi, Y.E Yang) and Italy, who are represented by the Molinari brothers Edoardo and Francesco.

American duo Nick Watney and John Merrick occupy a share of 15th place in the 28-team field. England – represented by Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher – finished on six-under par while Scotland (David Drysdale, Alastair Forsyth) and Spain (Sergio Garcia, Gonzalo Fernadez Castano) occupy the wooden spoon position along with Chile and Pakistan.

Leaderboard after Day One:

58: Ireland (Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy)

61: Argentina (Tano Goya, Rafa Echenique)

62: Japan (Hiroyuki Fujita, Ryuji Imada)

64: Canada (Graham Delaet, Stuart Anderson, Italy (Edoardo Molinari, Francesco Molinari), South Korea (Charlie Wi, Yang Young-Eun), Sweden (Robert Karlsson, Henrik Stenson)

65: China (Zhang Lianwei, Liang Wenchong), South Africa (Rory Sabbatini, Richard Sterne)

66: Denmark (Soren Kjeldsen, Soren Hansen), England (Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher), Germany (Alex Cejka, Martin Kaymer), Singapore (Lam Chih Bing, Mardan Mamat), Wales (Stephen Dodd, Jamie Donaldson)

67: Taiwan (Lin Wen-tang, Lu Wei-chih), France (Christian Cevaer, Thomas Levet), India (Jyoti Randhawa, Jeev Milkha Singh), New Zealand (Danny Lee, David Smail), Thailand (Prayad Marksaeng, Thongchai Jaidee), United States (Nick Watney, John Merrick), Venezuela (Alfredo Adrian, Jhonattan Vegas)

68: Australia (Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby), Brazil (Rafael Barcellos, Ronaldo Francisco), Philippines (Marciano Pucay, Angelo Que)

69: Chile (Hugo Leon, Martin Ureta), Pakistan (Muhammad Munir, Muhammad Shabbir), Scotland (David Drysdale, Alastair Forsyth), Spain (Gonzalo Fernandez Castano, Sergio Garcia)

Sergio to represent Spain in World Cup

Sergio Garcia will lead Spain into November’s Omega Mission Hills World Cup, to be played between 26th and 29th at the Jose Maria Olazabal-designed Mission Hills Golf Club, China.

With the 18 exempt nations now confirmed for the event, Garcia will represent his country at Mission Hills for the first time, while it will be his fourth attempt in all at capturing the World Cup. Garcia has also played in 2001, 2004 and 2005 with runner-up the best he has managed so far, which came in his native Spain when partnering Miguel Angel Jiminez.

The field for the World Cup is selected through each nation’s leading player on the Official World Golf Ranking as it stood on Monday 22nd June. The leading player of each country may select any fellow player and countryman providing that player was ranked within the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking as of either 22 June 2009 or August 17, 2009.

However, if there was no other available player from that country within the top 100 on the Rankings on either of the dates, then the exempt player’s partner would be the next highest ranked available player from the same country outside of the top 100 as of August 17. But if there is no other available player from that country within the top 500 on the official world rankings as at August 17, then the exempt player may select any professional player of his choosing from the same country, regardless of the player’s World Ranking.

The deadline for the leading player to select his partner is August 28, 2009.
While Garcia is yet to name his partner for the event, Irishman Rory McIlroy will head Ireland’s challenge for the World Cup, will also make his first appearance at Mission Hills. McIlroy broke into the world’s top 20 this season and he has nominated Graeme McDowall as his partner.

Ian Poulter, who had an Open championship to forget, will represent England for the third successive year. He will be partnered with Ross Fisher, and the pair will hope to better last year’s sixth place.
South Africa will be represented by Rory Sabbatini and countryman Richard Sterne, while one half of the United States entry will be filled by Nick Watney. Two time European Tour winner Martin Kaymer will represent Germany.

Other confirmed nations include Australia (Robert Allenby and Stuart Appleby); Denmark (Soren Kjeldsen); India (Jeev Milkha Singh); and Argentina (Andres Romero).

The remaining ten places in the tournament will be completed following Qualifiers to be played in Asia, Europe and South America where three countries will go through from each to join the eighteen exempt nations and China, who automatically qualify as host nation.

« Previous Page