Lu opens big lead in Taiwan Pratt 3rd
BY Bruce Young | Asian Tour | 2011 Mercuries Taiwan Masters | Round Two | 04 Nov 2011
While many of the leading Asian Tour players are chasing the big dollars in Shanghai this week at the HSBC Champions event, many others are in Taiwan to play the Mercuries Taiwan Masters as they pursue not only dollars but improved status on the Asian Tour money list.
At the halfway mark of the event at the Taiwan Golf and Country Club, Lu Wei-chih has opened up a five shot lead over Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant with Australian Asian Tour rookie Kieran Pratt and Filipino Miguel Tabuena sharing third position one shot further back.
The 32 year old Lu is a former winner of this event having won in 2005 and earlier this year won his second Asian Tour event when successful at the Yeangder Players Championship in Taipei. Clearly, Lu is a player who thrives on playing in front of his home crowds and he has created another great opportunity this weekend.
44 year old Wiratchant, another former winner of this event and a 12 time winner in Asia, could not match the pace of Lu over the opening 36 holes but could well be the leader’s greatest threat over the final stages of the event he won seven years ago.
23 year old Pratt is playing his rookie season in Asia after what had been an solid start to his professional career last summer in Australia. Pratt outplayed Tiger Woods when paired with him in round three of last year’s J.B Were Masters, encouraging signs for one of such little experiecne at the time.
His best finish in Asia this year however has been when 15th at the ISPS Singapore Classic and, in 88th position on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, he needs to capitalise on the start he has produced this week.
Scott Barr is in 25th position, Adam Groom and Scott Hend 37th, Darren Beck , Tim Stewart, Brad Smith and Tony Carolan 47th.
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