Kang, McGrane share Johnnie Walker lead
BY Bruce Young | Asian Tour | 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic | Round Two | 20 Feb 2009
Anthony Kang shares the second round lead at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth, continuing a remarkable run of recent form with a second round of 67 to sit at 10 under alongside Irishman Damian McGrane, and one clear of New Zealander Danny Lee, Japan’s Hiroyuki Fujita and Spaniard Ignacio Garrido.
Just five days after winning his first European Tour title in Malaysia last weekend, Kang has defied the common logic that suggests following up such a significant week with another is too great a task. It may yet prove to be just that but so far so good for the 36-year-old.
McGrane played in the afternoon group and when he finished his round at 6.10pm with a birdie at the final hole he had grabbed a slice of the halfway lead.
McGrane overcame a stumble around the turn when he bogeyed the reachable par five 9th and 10th holes and lost at least one shot to the field. He quickly made amends when he birdied his 12th, 13th and 14th holes to move within one of the lead and then added the almost obligatory birdie at the par five last.
Even later to finish was Spaniard Ignacio Garrido who birdied his final hole of the day to break clear of a group at 8 under and head into the weekend in third position. Garrido is a player good enough to have won the Volvo PGA Championship earlier in his career but his form in recent months has not been impressive.
Danny Lee was annoyed with a double bogey he took at the 12th but a pep talk from his caddy settled him down and he proceeded to birdie his last three holes for a round of 68 and 9 under. The 18-year-old will turn professional after Augusta and is looking forward to enjoying himself tomorrow with very little pressure on him.
Hiroyuki Fujita won the co-sanctioned event in Beijing last year between the Japan and Asian Tours and this gets a start here. He said he found the going tough in the heat and the firming greens and indicated that he would play the Japan Tour only in 2009 although would play the larger co-sanctioned events in Asia.
A large group at 8 under included one of the pre-tournament favourites, Anthony Kim, along with Andre Stolz, Adam Blyth, Terry Pilkadaris, John Bickerton, first round leader Robert-Jan Derksen, and Felipe Aguilar.
The cut fell at 3 under and amongst those who missed and certainly the most notable were Greg Norman, Camilo Villegas and the leading world ranked Australian in the field, Richard Green.
Green learns tomorrow morning if he has made the field for the Accenture Match Play Championship. If he does that will be the good news, the bad news being that he will face Tiger Woods in the opening encounter. He stands a chance however with two Australians (Peter O’Malley and Nick O’Hern) having beaten Woods in previous match play outings.
