Brad Kennedy leads Johnnie Walker
BY iseekgolf.com | Asian Tour | 2007 Johnnie Walker Classic | Round One | 01 Mar 2007
Australian Brad Kennedy holds the lead after day one of the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand, following an opening 65 on the Blue Canyon Country Club layout.
Kennedy sits stop the leaderboard on seven-under, one clear of Canadian Mike Weir, Englishman Graeme Storm, Scot Stephen Gallacher and Swede Peter Hanson, while Aussie Scott Gardiner and Kiwi Eddie Lee shot 67s to sit with three others at five-under and two off the lead.
Kennedy, who teed off in the morning, had a near flawless round, with birdies on the first, second and ninth on the way out, and 11, 12, 13, 15 and 17 on the way home. His only blemish was a bogey four on the par-3 14th.
Storm’s round was highlighted by an eagle two at the long par-four 10th, with a bogey on the 16th dropping him out of the lead and level with Weir, who rocketed up the leaderboard with four birdies on the back nine. Gallacher and Hanson were the best of the afternoon golfers finishing with six birdies in their totals of 66.
Gardiner began his day with a birdie, and went on a four-hole birdie blitz around the turn to be five-under through 11. But he was even for the day after that point, with two more birdies and two more bogeys.
Lee, who shot a 62 in the 2002 Heineken Classic, could have been up with Kennedy if not for a double bogey late in his round. They share sixth with Northern Irishman Graeme McDowall and India’s Jeev Milkha Singh.
Among the nine golfers at four-under are veteran Aussie Peter Fowler and dual US Open champion Retief Goosen. James Nitties and Craig Parry are the next best of the Aussies at three-under, while there are a host of Australians in a share of 27th at two-under.
They are Adam Blyth, Nick Flanagan, Kim Felton, Jarrod Moseley, Peter O’Malley, Wade Ormsby, Unho Park, Terry Pilkadaris and Peter Senior. Meanwhile, World No.4 Adam Scott signed for a two-over 74.
There are three other New Zealanders in the field, with Michael Long and David Smail signing for 71s, and Mahal Pearce a 73.
Source – PGA Tour
