|
|
|
| May 4, 2003 | Sunday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 1, 1424 |
Verplank claims three strokes lead
NEW ORLEANS (Louisiana), May 3: Scott Verplank shot a bogey-free nine-under-par 63 to claim a three-shot lead after the second round of the $5 million New Orleans Classic on Friday.
A member of last year’s U.S. Ryder Cup team, Verplank leads with a tournament-record 16-under 128, while Brian Gay (66) and Todd Barranger (65) are tied for second on 13-under 131.
Three-time 2003 winner Davis Love III (67), Bob Estes (66), Kirk Triplett (66), Mark Wilson (67) and first-round co-leader Akio Sadakata of Japan (68) are on 12-under 132.
Defending champion K.J. Choi of South Korea is tied for 17th at nine-under after a 70 on a day when the cut came at five-under 139, the lowest in tournament history.
For the second day, the field scoring average was a tournament record low for the round.
Friday’s scoring average of 70.026 bested the previous low by over a stroke.
Verplank, a four-time PGA Tour winner, went out early and posted his score that held throughout the day.
Starting on the back nine, the 39-year-old rolled in successive birdies putts of 15 or fewer feet at holes 11 through 13.
He two-putted the par-five 15th green for birdie and then hit an eight-iron to eight feet at the par-three 17th to record his fifth birdie.
His fast start was threatened when he found the greenside bunker with his approach on the par-four 18th.
Verplank hit to within 15 feet below the hole and saved par. He then scattered four more birdies on the front nine.
He finished well before the second round completed, and was not all too concerned if his lead would hold.
Leading second round scores (U.S. unless stated):
128 Scott Verplank 65 63
131 Brian Gay 65 66, Todd Barranger 66 65
132 Davis Love III 65 67, Bob Estes 66 66, Kirk Triplett 66 66, Mark Wilson 65 67, Akio Sadakata (Japan) 64 68
133 Paul Stankowski 64 69, Stephen Ames (Trinidad & Tobago) 65 68
134 Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 67 67, John Riegger 66 68, Darron Stiles 66 68, Jeff Sluman 65 69, Jay Williamson 69 65, Cameron Yancey 66 68
135 K.J. Choi (South Korea) 65 70, David Frost (South Africa) 70 65, Vijay Singh (Fiji) 67 68, Steve Lowery 71 64
CHUNG IN FRONT
SEOUL: South Korea’s Chung Joon will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the $400,000 Maekyung Open after shooting a third-round 68 on Saturday.
The 31-year-old Chung, seeking his first tour victory, posted a three-round total of 10-under-par 206, three ahead of compatriot Choi Yoon-soo and Indian Amandeep Johl.
Veteran Choi Gwang-soo, who won the tournament in 2001, fired a sparkling 66 on Saturday to move to within four shots of the leader at the Nam Seoul Country Club.
Leading third round scores (South Korea unless stated, a-denotes amateur):
206 Chung Joon 70 68 68
209 Choi Yoon-soo 71 70 68, Amandeep Johl (India) 70 70 69
210 Choi Gwang-soo 71 73 66
211 Shin Yong-jin 74 71 66, Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand) 74 68 69
212 Richard Backwell (Australia) 69 73 70, Ted Oh 71 70 71, Moon Sung-wook 71 71 70, Kim Hyung-tae 71 71 70, a-Kim Kyung-tae 74 68 70
213 Chung Jae-hoon 70 72 71, Mo Joong-kyung 71 71 71, Suk Jong-ryul 69 71 73
ITALIAN OPEN LEADERS
BRESCIA, Italy, May 3: Leading scores after the third round of the Italian Open at the par-72 Gardagolf on Saturday (Britain unless stated):
203 Ricardo Gonzalez (Argentina) 67 70 66
204 Pierry Fulke (Sweden) 68 70 66, Pehr Magnebrant (Sweden) 71 65 68, Rolf Muntz (Netherlands) 69 66 69, Peter O’Malley (Australia) 64 70 70
205 Gary Clark 66 70 69
206 Simon Khan 70 72 64, Gustavo Rojas (Argentina) 70 68 68, Marc Farry (France) 72 66 68, Mathias Gronberg (Sweden) 71 67 68, Erol Simsek (Germany) 68 69 69, Steen Tinning (Denmark) 72 64 70, Fredrik Widmark (Sweden) 69 65 72.—Reuters
|
|
|
|
