Norquist hangs on to lead

07/02/1999

AMERICAN Gerry Norquist fought hard to keep his overnight lead after he
bogeyed the opening three holes while champion Ed Fryatt of England kept
his hopes of a repeat intact on a dramatic third day of the Benson &
Hedges Malaysian Open at Saujana GCC yesterday.
Fryatt reached the par-five 18th in three and had only three feet for
his birdie to end the day at one-under 71 while Norquist's early loss of
concentration gave him a 75.
Fryatt and American Shaun Micheel, with a 70, are one shot back of
Norquist, who stands at seven-under 209.
The 18th was where all the excitement was as Norquist's second shot
landed in the rough and was in the bunker after his third. But with about
58 yards to the pin in the sand, his fourth stopped two feet from the cup
as he saved par.
"I never give up. I don't care what position I am in, whether I'm
shooting 80 or whatever, it doesn't matter. I've ridden out the storm
plenty of times in my career and have come from five down in matchplay and
from five-over to stand under par in strokeplay," said Norquist.
The 1993 champion's scorecard registered bogeys at the first, second,
third and eighth while his lone bird was at the 17th.
"I hit the ball on the fairway almost everytime in the first 36 holes
and did not think that the course was as difficult as scores were
indicating. But today (yesterday), I saw a more difficult course than the
pro-am and the first two rounds. It is a tiger with big teeth," said
Norquist.
"I can't go out and say that I'm going to win the tournament because
tomorrow (today) someone might shoot a marvellous round. But one thing is
for sure, I want to walk away from here having played a good round of
golf."
Norquist was not far off when he said the tournament is still wide open.
Besides Fryatt and Micheel, Americans Bob May and Christian Chernock are
five-under after the pair returned 70s.
Fryatt, meanwhile, was pleased that he stayed in the hunt for his second
trophy at Saujana. "I had a few good chances but some putts didn't drop. I
would have liked to be leading by six but since I still have a chance to
defend my title, it is going to be fun playing in the final," said Fryatt.
"I've played a lot with Gerry and Shaun in the past. Gerry's
unbelievable, he is like a bulldog out there plugging away, while Shaun
has so much talent.
"I said all week that the number to win was going to be 10-under and
that's what I still think. If Gerry had a little more luck then he could
have been six or seven ahead but you never know, six could be enough."
For Micheel, the ninth turned the tide for him.
"The ninth was the turning point, I pulled my tee shot left and into
deep rough in front of the fence. I asked for a ruling several times
because I knew the fence was not an integral part of the course. Luckily I
was able to get a free drop and make a five. My attitude changed
completely after that," said Micheel.
"I hit the tee ball well but you can't force the ball around this
course. That's why Norquist is doing well. He doesn't overpower it and
keeps it straight." THIRD ROUND SCORES
209 Gerry Norquist (US) 67-67-75; 210 Shaun Micheel (US) 69-71-70; Ed
Fryatt (Eng) 70-69-71.;
211 Bob May (US) 72-69-70, Christian Chernock (US) 70-71-70; 212 Alex
Cejka (Ger) 70-73-69; Wang Ter-chang (Tai) 69-72-71, Choi Kyung-ju (S Kor)
68-71-73.
213 Paul McGinley (Ire) 74-71-68, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 74-71-68, Jyoti
Randhawa (Ind) 71-72-70, Greg Owen (Eng) 71-72-70, Padraig Harrington
(Ire) 70-73-70, Craig Hainline (US) 70-71-72.
214 Simon Yates (Scot) 77-69-68, Lin Keng-chi (Tai) 72-72-70, Andrew
Bonhomme (Aus) 70-74-70, Chris Hanell (Swe) 75-67-72, Pierre Fulke (Swe)
73-69-72, Gary Evans (Eng) 75-67-72, Chang Tse-peng (Tai) 77-64-73,
Frankie Minoza (Phi) 67-74-73, Andrew Coltart (Scot) 70-71-73, Anders
Hansen (Den) 70-71-73, Dean Wilson (US) 71-68-75.
215 Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 74-73-68, Nick O'Hern (Aus) 74-71-70, Thomas
Levet (Fra) 72-73-70, Kim Jong-duk (S Kor) 73-71-71, Christian Pena (US)
66-75-74, Marcello Santi (Ita) 70-71-74.
216 Chawalit Plaphol (Thai) 76-71-69, Ali Kadir (Mas) 75-71-70, Daniel
Chopra (Swe) 71-74-71, Katsuyoshi Tomori (Jpn) 72-73-71, Prayad Maerkseng
(Thai) 72-72-72, Scott Rowe (HK) 74-70-72, Zhang Lian-wei (Chn) 66-75-75.
217 Angel Cabrera (Arg) 76-70-71, John Mellor (Eng) 72-73-72, Eric Meeks
(US) 71-73-73, Gilberto Morales (Ven) 71-72-74.
218 Choi Gwang-soo (S Kor) 73-72-73, Robert Derksen (Hol) 74-71-73, Kyi
Hla Han (Mya) 72-73-73, Andrew McLardy (SA) 78-67-73, John Bickerton (Eng)
73-72-73, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 74-70-74, Chris Williams (Eng) 73-71-74,
Per Hausgrud (Nor) 74-70-74, Jim Rutledge (Can) 70-74.
219 M. Ramayah (Mas) 73-74-72, Eric Rustand (US) 70-76-73, David Howell
(Eng) 70-75-74, Jerry Smith (US) 71-73-75, Tomas Munoz (Spn) 68-71-80.
220 Brad Andrews (Aus) 73-74-73, Stephen Bennett (Eng) 73-74-73, S.
Murthy (Mas) 76-70-74, Rob Huxtable (US) 75-70-75, Jose Coceres (Arg) 75-
69-76.
221 Rolf Muntz (Hol) 73-74-74; 222 Robin Byrd (US) 75-72-75; 224
Jonathan Lomas (Eng) 73-74-77, Charlie Wi (S Kor) 73-71-80. FINAL ROUND DRAW
8.30am: Jonathan Lomas (Eng), Charlie Wi (S Kor); 8.40: Robin Byrd (US),
Jose Coceres (Arg), Rolf Muntz (Hol); 8.50: S. Murthy (Mas), Rob Huxtable
(US), Stephen Bennett (Eng).
9.00: Brad Andrews (Aus), Jerry Smith (US); Tomas Munoz (Spn); 9.10:
Eric Rustand (US), David Howell (Eng), M. Ramayah (Mas); 9.20: Robert
Karlsson (Swe), Jim Rutledge (Can), Per Haugsrud (Nor); 9.30: Andrew
McLardy (SA), Chris Williams (SA), John Bickerton (Eng).
9.40: Kyi Hla Han (Mya), Choi Gwang-soo (S Kor); Robert Jan-Derksen
(Hol); 9.50: Gilberto Morales (Ven), Eric Meeks (US), John Mellor (Eng);
10.00: Angel Cabrera (Arg), Scott Rowe (HK), Zhang Lian-wei (Chn); 10.10:
Prayad Marksaeng (Thai), Katsuyoshi Tomori (Jpn), Daniel Chopra (Swe);
10.20: Ali Kadir (Mas), Chawalit Plaphol (Thai), Marcello Santi (Ita);
10.30: Christian Pena (US), Kim Jong-duck (S Kor), Thomas Levet (Fra);
10.40: Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Nick O'Hern (Aus), Dean Wilson (US); 10.50:
Gary Evans (Eng), Anders Hansen (Den), Andrew Coltart (Scot).
11.00: Pierre Fulke (Swe), Frankie Minoza (Phi), Chang Tse-peng (Tai);
11.10: Christopher Hanell (Swe), Lin Keng Chi (Tai), Andrew Bonhomme
(Aus); 11.20: Simon Yates (Scot), Craig Hainline (US), Padraig Harrington
(Ire); 11.30: Greg Owen (Eng), Jyoti Randhawa (Ind), Jarmo Sandelin (Swe);
11.40: Paul McGinley (Ire), Choi Kyung-ju (S Kor), Wang Ter-chang (Tai).
11.50: Alex Cejka (Ger), Christian Chernock (US), Bob May (US); 12.00:
Shaun Micheel (US), Ed Fryatt (Eng), Gerry Norquist (US).
(END)