GRAEME McDOWELL has not yet given up the defence of his Ballantine’s Championship title despite suffering a poor start to this year’s event yesterday.
McDowell won the inaugural championship played at the Pinx Golf Club on Korea’s Jeju Island last year on the final putt, recording a score of 24 under par to do so.
This year, however, he sits at four over after a difficult first round, 11 shots behind the early leaders Mark Brown and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.
But despite the setback, the 29-year-old from Portrush insists he will continue to fight to successfully defend a title for the first time since 2005.
“Obviously I’m going to need three really good rounds to try to compete on the weekend,” he said after his first round.
“I’ll be going out all guns blazing tomorrow, no doubt. I know I can go low on this golf course, but that wasn’t quite what I had in mind this morning.”
Despite admitting to feeling “shocked and stunned” by the unexpected start on a course he admitted “fits my eye”, McDowell refused to resort to excuses.
“I’ve got no complaints. The course was there for the taking. It was in good condition. The greens were a little elusive, and I didn’t really putt too well at all,” he explained.
“I’m shocked and stunned. I just didn’t play very well. I drove it all over the place. It was just a bad morning in the office. I didn’t feel quite at the races this morning.”
Fernandez-Castano admitted he is surprised by how well he is playing after a seven-under-par 65 gave him a share of the lead.
The Spaniard shares the lead with New Zealand’s Brown, the pair having also finished second and third respectively in last week’s Volvo China Open in Beijing.
On that occasion Fernandez Castano missed out on the win by just one shot, giving him his second runners-up finish after losing a play-off to Michael Hoey in Portugal earlier in the year.
Despite having not yet tasted victory in 2009, two second places, one further top-10 finish in Qatar and a strong start yesterday has left the 28-year-old pleasantly surprised with his form.
“I’m a little bit surprised, I have to say. The last couple of weeks have been great and coming out here and shooting 65 in the first round, you can’t ask for any better,” he said.
Fernandez-Castano and Brown took advantage of the par-five 10th, where 11 players carded eagles.
For Brown that was the first hole of the day, a great start which was followed by his sole bogey of the day on the 14th and six birdies.
Fernandez-Castano also carded six birdies and one bogey to go with his eagle.
Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee also eagled the 10th and fired four consecutive birdies from the second to sit one shot behind the leaders alongside Korea’s Kang Kyung-Nam and Robert-Jan Derksen of Holland.
Damien McGrane is four shots off the pace after a 69 with Peter Lawrie and Gareth Maybin on 70. Paul McGinley has work to do after a 73 while Jonathan Caldwell is on 76 with McDowell.
LET TOUR: Nikki Garrett and Joanne Mills combined for a seven-under 65 to give Australia a one-shot lead after the first round of the European Nations Cup in Spain.
Team USA and the Netherlands were a shot behind in the 20-nation event at La Sella Resort in Denia, Alicante.
Defending champions England, comprising Lisa Hall and recent Australian Open champion Laura Davies, shot five-under 67 and were two shots off the lead along with the French pair of Gwladys
The Irish team of Rebecca Coakley and Martina Gillen are on level-par 72.
USPGA TOUR: England’s Justin Rose and Scot Martin Laird both finished strongly to shoot four-under-par 68s and be only two behind early leader Charlie Wi in the opening round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans yesterday.
But it was an unhappy start to his professional career for 18-year-old New Zealander Danny Lee. Two months after becoming the youngest winner on the European Tour, Lee slumped to a four-over-par 74 and was close to last of the morning starters.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Ballantine's Championship
at Pinx GC, Jeju Island, South Korea
First round (British unless stated, Irish in bold, par 72): 65 – G Fdez-Castano (Spa), M Brown (Nzl). 66 – R Jan Derksen (Ned), Kyung-nam Kang (Kor), T Jaidee (Tha). 67 – A Tadini (Ita), R Dinwiddie, J Knutzon (US). 68 – M Ilonen (Fin), C Lam (Sin), C Plaphol (Tha), B Rumford (Aus), S Hong (Kor), S Barr (Aus), E Els (Rsa), D Kim (Kor), H Kim (Jpn), W Kang (Kor), R Cabrera Bello (Spa), H Stenson (Swe). 69 – Damien McGrane (Ire), H Choi (Kor), B Grace (Rsa), D Willett, S Dyson, K Kim (Kor), F Aguilar (Chi), A Wu (Chn), P Martin (Spa), W Lin (Chn), G Ghei (Ind), A Haig (Rsa), M Mamat (Sin), S Benson, F Couples (US), S Kang (Kor), H Kim (Kor). 70 – W Chih Lu (Tha), A Tschudin (Aus), Peter Lawrie (Ire), M Vibe-Hastrup (Den), T Oh (Kor), J Kyung Mo (Kor), M Fraser (Aus), Z Scotland, M Carlsson (Swe), Gareth Maybin (N Ire), In-hoi Hur (Kor), S Drummond, R Davies, K Webber (US), R Finch, I Steel (Mal), I Van Weerelt (Ned). 71 – S Noh (Kor), A Nilsson (Rsa), Y Shin (Kor), K Eriksson (Swe), U Park (Aus), T Nogami (Jpn), W Besseling (Ned), P Meesawat (Tha), W Liang (Chn), M Brier (Aut), J Yul Suk (Kor), C Nirat (Tha), L Westwood, J Huldahl (Den), S Kapur (Ind), N Dougherty, T Wiratchant (Tha), SSP Chowrasia (Ind), C Rodgers, R Kulacz (Aus), G Choi (Kor), F Zanotti (Par), B Lane. 72 – S Choi (Kor), P Hedblom (Swe), G Storm, J Edfors (Swe), P Larrazabal (Spa), M Kwon (Kor), J Lima (Por), A Kang (US), A Murakami (Phi), F Colombo (Ita), P Marksaeng (Tha), W Ormsby (Aus), S Ho Lee (Kor), D Kim (Kor), D Park (Kor), D Gleeson (Aus), F Delamontagne (Fra), S Manley, M Lafeber (Ned), A Dodt (Aus), L Sung (Kor), Y Park (Kor), P O'Malley (Aus), J Randhawa (Ind). 73 – B Leong (Mal), S Sri-sanga (Tha), J Van de Velde (Fra), P Edberg (Swe), S Griffiths, D Frost (Rsa), Peter Hanson (Swe), S Hend (Aus), E Tage Johansen (Nor), O Henningsson (Swe), D Singh (Ind), R Bland, K joon Song (Aus), W Kim (Kor), W Lin (Tai), S Strange (Aus), M Both (Aus), D Dixon, S Bae (Kor), R Green (Aus), Paul McGinley (Ire). 74 – W Heo (Kor), B Saltus (US), F Minoza (Phi), M Erlandsson (Swe), K Kang (Kor), M Pucay (Phi), H Joo (Kor), A Mckenzie (Aus), G Van D Valk (Ned), J Kamte (Rsa). 75 – S Jeon (Kor), D Kim (Kor) , C Wood, D Beck (Aus), R Echenique (Arg), T Pilkadaris (Aus), C Hong (US), C Phadungsil (Tha), T hee Lee (Kor), K Horne (Rsa), A Que (Phi). 76 – C Del Moral (Spa), Jonathan Caldwell (N Ire), Graeme McDowell (N Ire). 77 – J Jung (Kor), T Carolan (Aus), J Yoo (Kor), J Son (Kor). 79 – M Brown (Aus), A Ahokas (Fin), A Blyth (Aus). 80 – A Rizman (Mal), K Kim (Kor). 81 – G Flint (Aus).
LET - NATIONS CUP
(La Sella Golf Resort, Alicante, Spain)
First round (Par: 72)
65 - Australia (N Garrett, J Mills)
66 - The Netherlands (C Boeljon, M van der Graaff), USA (B Daniel, M Mallon)
67 - France (G Nocera, AL Caudal), England (L Davies, L Hall)
68 - Denmark (I Tinning, L Holm Sorensen)
69 - Scotland (L Kenny, C Queen), Italy (V Zorzi, G Sergas)
70 - Austria (E Steinberger, N Gergely), Norway (M Skarpnord, L Kristin Saether), Wales (B Brewerton, L Hall), Germany (M Eberl, D Charlotte Becker)
71 - Switzerland (F Luscher, F Seeholzer), Sweden (L Wahlin, Carin Koch)
72 - Slovakia (Z Kamasova, V Falathova, Ireland (Rebecca Coakley and Martina Gillen), Russia (M Verchenova, A Kostina)
73 - Belgium (E Smets, L Tadiotto), Spain (P Marti, T Elosegui)
75 - Finland (U Wikstrom, K Ruuttila).
ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS
(TPC Louisiana, Avondale)
Early first round scores: 66 - Charlie Wi (S Kor), 67 - Jay Williamson, Nathan Green (Aus), Parker McLachlin, Charles Warren, John Merrick, 68 - Jeff Overton, Martin Laird (Sco), Charles Howell, Steve Stricker, Rod Pampling, Justin Rose (Eng), Jason Dufner, 69 - George McNeill, Michael, Brad Faxon, Greg Chalmers (Aus), John Rollins, Jarrod Lyle (Aus), D.A. Points, Jason Day (Aus). 70 - John Mallinger, Brian Davis, Tim Petrovic, Rory Sabbatini, Ryan Palmer, Lee Janzen, Rich Beem, Steve Marino. 71 - Cliff Kresge, Bob Tway ,Woody Austin, Chris Couch, Jason Bohn, Rick Price, 71 - Ben Crane, Brett Quigley, Stephen Leaney (Aus), Patrick Sheehan, Tom Pernice, Michael Letzi, Casey Wittenberg. 72 - Mark Calcavecchia, Richard S. Johnson (Swe), James Driscoll, Kirk Triplett, Billy Andrade, Chris Riley, Darron Stiles.
