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| November 30, 2001 | Friday | Ramazan 14, 1422 |
Unfancied Aussie Scott grabs one-stroke lead
HONG KONG, Nov 29: Australia’s Adam Scott birdied the 17th to hold off the challenge of playing partner Jose Maria Olazabal and take a one-shot lead in the opening round of the Hong Kong Open on Thursday.
The 21-year-old from Adelaide, who won this year’s Alfred Dunhill Championship in Johannesburg for his first title in the professional ranks, reeled off seven birdies, an eagle-three at the 12th and two bogeys for a seven-under-par 64.
Twice U.S. Masters champion Olazabal of Spain, who finished joint-second at last week’s Asian Open in Taiwan, dropped a shot at the last to slip back into a share of second place on 65 with Irishman Paul McGinley and Hong Kong’s James Stewart.
Scott got off to a flying start, three straight birdies from the first setting him up for an outward nine of 32.
He then went birdie-birdie-eagle from the 10th and, although he faltered with his second drop of the day at the 15th, he recovered with a birdie-three on 17.
“I’m very happy,” said Scott. “I got off to a really good start and, after the three opening birdies, it went from there.
“I could have had another great round and was thinking of double digits for the day but the bogey on the 15th cooled me down again.
“It really helped playing alongside Olazabal as he played so solid - he could have been eight under on the front nine.”
Olazabal, who seemed to have found a cure to his wayward driving in Taiwan last week, fired four birdies in a front nine of 31.
He then took the outright lead at seven under par after picking up further shots at 11, 12 and 14 but his bogey on 18 dropped him back into a tie for second.
“I struck the ball quite well today and it was just a pity about the last,” the Spaniard said.
“That always leaves a sour taste in the mouth but I was pretty solid. The driving was not quite as good as it was last week but I feel it is much better than it has been all year long.”
The Hong Kong Open is the final tournament on the 2001 Asian PGA Tour and also the second stop on the 2002 European Tour schedule.
Leading first scores (British unless stated)
64 Adam Scott (Australia)
65 Paul McGinley (Ireland), Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain), James Stewart (Hong Kong)
66 Henrik Bjornstad (Norway), Michael Campbell (New Zealand), Matthew Cort, Mark Foster, Kyi Hla Han (Myanmar), Barry Lane, Stephen Lindskog (Sweden), Zaw Moe (Myanmar), Patrik Sjoland (Sweden), Anthony Wall, Chris Williams (South Africa), Simon Yates, Wei-Tze Yeh (Taiwan)—Reuters
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