It's the same old story

05/02/1999

CHINA'S Zhang Lian-wei was the surprise joint leader with American
Christian Pena as lighting lighted up the skies for a spell during the
opening round of the Benson and Hedges Malaysian Open yesterday.
But for the 10 local golfers it was just another usual round of golf
that held no excitement for the local fans.
The Malaysians, led by M. Ramayah, are no strangers to the Saujana Golf
and Country Club but none of them could tame the Palm Course, leaving it
to 16 foreign pros to return below par scores.
The best placed Malaysian was Ramayah who shot a one-over 73 and is
grouped in joint 20th with 12 others.
Ramayah, who started the day with a birdie on the first hole, was two-
under at the turn after sinking another two birdies on the sixth and
seventh and finishing with a blemish on the eighth.
But he had three bogeys on the back nine - on the 11th, 14th and 17th.
Ramayah, however, looks good going into the second round today.
Saujana's latest resident pro, Rashid Ismail, was two-over 74 with 11
others while Ali Kadir found the going tough and fired a 75.
Amateurs R. Nachimuthu and A. Dorairaj were game triers and carded 76s
which was also what their pro compatriots P. Gunasegaran and S. Murthy
managed to be in joint 51st with a slew of foreign pros.
Gunasegaran, who finished 10th at last week's Myanmar Open, carded five
bogeys but to his credit he salvaged the day when he stayed focused on the
return nine.
Rahizam Ramli shot 77, Danny Chia 78, Shaifubari Muda 79 and amateur
Mohamed Paisal Bee 81.
The shot of the day belonged to Taiwan's Lu Wen-teh who fired a hole-in-
one on the 216-yard par-three second with a four iron.
Unfortunately it was not on one of the designated holes where a Jaguar
car or worth your weight in Johnnie Walker whisky was on offer.
The ace was not the only excitement on a day when 56 golfers' game was
held up because of danger of lightning.
Australian television cameraman Gil Oberhofer who was standing on a 12-
foot platform near the 14th was hit in the back by lightning.
Officials summoned for an ambulance. But Oberhofer, who was working for
Asia Sport TV, told a medical crew he was unhurt and walked unaided to the
clubhouse.
European Tour spokesman Gordon Simpson later said Oberhofer may have
received a shock from a build up of static electricity around his tower. 1ST ROUND SCORES
66 Christian Pena (US) 32-34, Zhang Lian-wei (Chn) 34-32; 67 Frankie
Minoza (Phi) 34-33; 68 Choy Kyung-ju (S Kor) 33-35; 70 Anders Hansen (Den)
36-34, Craig Hainline (US) 38-32, Christian Chernock (US) 34-36, Alex
Cejka (Ger) 37-33, Andrew Coltart (Scot) 35-35, Andrew Bonhomme (Aus) 36-
34; 71 Greg Owen (Eng) 35-36, Gilberto Morales (Ven) 36-35, Jerry Smith
(US) 35-36.
72 Prayad Marksaeng (Thai) 37-35, Lu Wen-teh (Tai) 36-36, Zaw Moe (Mya)
36-36, Bob May (US) 36-36, Kyi Hia Han (Mya) 35-37; 73 Max Anglert (Swe)
40-33, Jonathan Lomas (Eng) 36-37, Kim Jong-duk (S Kor) 36-37, Des
Terblanche (SA) 37-36, Pierre Fulke (Swe) 33-40, Ramon Brobio (Phi) 36-37,
Chris Williams (Eng) 36-37, Van Phillips (Eng) 36-37, Rolf Muntz (Hol) 36-
37, M. Ramayah (Mas) 34-39, Brad Andrews (Aus) 33-40, Choi Gwang-soo (S
Kor) 35-38.
74 Scott Rowe (HK) 39-35, Dominique Boulet (HK) 38-36, Jarmo Sandelin
(Swe) 37-37, Robert Derkson (Hol) 38-36, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 39-35, Paul
McGinley (Ire) 39-35, Soren Hansen (Den) 38-36, Rashid Ismail (Mas) 39-35,
Thomas Gogele (Ger) 38-36, Francis Valera (Sp) 36-38, Scott Taylor (US)
36-38, Alberto Binaghi (Ita) 37-37.
75 Mac O'Grady (US) 37-38, Gary Evans (Eng) 36-39, Ali Kadir (Mas) 39-
36, Thammanoon Sriroj (Thai) 35-40, Andrew Sherborne (Eng) 36-39,
Christopher Hannell (Swe) 38-37, JOse Coceras (Arg) 38-37.
76 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 38-38, Park Nam-sin (S Kor) 38-38, S. Murthy
(Mas) 35-41, Carlos Rodiles (Sp) 37-39, Jean van de Velde (Fra) 38-38,
Mike Cunning (US) 39-37, Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 39-37, R. Nachimuthu (am-
Mas) 38-38, P. Gunasegaran (Mas) 40-36, Mardan Mamat (Sin) 37-39, Olle
Nordberg (Swe) 35-41, Stephen Dodd (Wal) 39-37, Takeshi Ohyama (Jpn) 39-
37, A. Dorairaj (am-Mas) 39-37, Leith Wastle (Aus) 37-39, Vivek Bhandari
(Ind) 38-38, Satoshi Ode (Jpn) 39-37.
77 Anthony Kang (S Kor) 38-39, Aaron Meeks (US) 40-37, Thaworn
Wiratchant (Thai) 39-38, Roger Winchester (Eng) 38-39, Greg Hanrahan (US)
40-37, Oliver Edmond (Fra) 38-39, Jean Pierre Cixous (Fra) 36-41, Rahizam
Ramli (am-Mas) Chang Tse-peng (Tai) 39-38.
78 Danny Chia (Mas) 40-38, Andrew McLardy (SA) 40-38, Hsieh Yu-shu (Tai)
39-39, Peter Teravainen (US) 40-38, Mats Lanner (Swe) 41-37, John McHenry
(Ire) 41-37, Richard Boxall (Eng) 38-40.
79 Scott Henderson (Scot) 42-37, Rodrigo Cuello (Phi) 40-39, Chen Jun
(Chn) 41-38, Lu Chien-soon (Tai) 42-37, Danny Zarate (Phi) 38-41,
Shaifubari Muda (Mas) 38-41; 80 Boonchu Ruangkit (Thai) 39-41; 81 Frederik
Jacobsen (Swe) 40-41, Felix Casas (Phi) 37-44, Paisal Bee (am-Mas) 41-40;
84 Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 40-44.
(END)