Norquist storms ahead

06/02/1999

FORMER champion Gerry Norquist fired a five-under 67 for the second day
running to take a five-stroke lead as Europe's No 2 and No 3, Darren
Clarke and Lee Westwood, failed to make the cut at the Benson and Hedges
Malaysian Open at the Saujana Golf and Country Club yesterday.
The steady Norquist who won the title in 1993 started with a birdie on
the first hole on a cool morning.
A bogey on the fourth was his only blemish as he went on to sink five
more birdies - on the first, ninth, 10th, 12th, 15th and 16th.
"If I say that I'm not surprised it is going to come out arrogant," said
Norquist, a former insurance salesman.
"I didn't expect it but I am pleased. But I have been around golf long
enough to know that anything can happen."
Malaysians Ali Kadir, S. Murthy and M. Ramayah managed to overcome the
tricky greens which only allowed 65 pros into the third round.
Norquist first played in Malaysia in 1991 and said that he always
focused on the present and learned early that if you focus on something
else, like rewards, you usually pay the price for it.
The 36-year-old won the tournament in 1993 in a play-off against Fiji's
Vijay Singh at Royal Selangor Golf Club but victory this time around will
be extra special as the Open is being joint-sanctioned with the PGA
European Tour.
Defending champion Ed Fryatt of England fired a 69 and shared second
spot with four others - American Dean Wilson who carded a 68, and South
Korea's Choi Kyung-ju and Spain's Tomas Munoz who returned 71s.
Wilson who is one of the only three golfers to have won four times on
the Asian PGA Tour has placed himself in an excellent position to claim a
record five titles by firing six birdies and a bogey over the 6,974-yard
course.
Westwood, who lost in the playoff to Fryatt last year and won the Open
in 1997, missed the three-over par cut by one after carding a 72. Clarke
was 11 over.
India's Jeev Milkha Singh, presently No 2 on the European Tour Order of
Merit, missed the cut by three strokes.
Overnight leaders Zhang Lian-wei of China and American Christian Pena
both finished three-under with 75s.
Taiwan's Chang Tse-peng carded the lowest round with an eight-under 64.
His round, made up of eight birdies, equalled Westwood's course record but
did not stand as preferred lies were being played. SECOND ROUND SCORES
134 Gerry Norquist (US) 67-67; 139 Dean Wilson (US) 71-68, Ed Fryatt
(Eng) 70-69, Tomas Munoz (Spn) 68-71, Choi Kyung-ju (S Kor) 68-71; 140
Shaun Micheel (US) 69-71; 141 Chang Tse-peng (Tai) 77-64, Bob May (US) 72-
69, Marcello Santi (Ita) 70-71, Anders Hansen (Den) 70-71, Christian
Chernock (US) 70-71, Craig Hainline (US) 70-71, Andrew Coltart (Scot) 70-
71, Wang Ter-chang (Tai) 69-72, Frankie Minoza (Phi) 67-74, Christian Pena
(US) 66-75, Zhang Lian-wei (Chn) 66-75; 142 Gary Evans (Eng) 75-67, Chris
Hanell (Swe) 75-67, Pierre Fulke (Swe) 73-69; 143 Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 71-
72, Gilberto Morales (Ven) 71-72, Greg Owen (Eng) 71-72, Padraig
Harrington (Ire) 70-73, Alex Cejka (Ger) 70-73; 144 Jose Coceres (Arg) 75-
69, Per Hausgrud (Nor) 74-70, Scott Rowe (HK) 74-70, Robert Karlsson (Swe)
74-70, Charlie Wi (S Kor) 73-71, Kim Jong-duk (S Kor) 73-71, Chris
Williams (Eng) 73-71, Lin Keng-chi (Tai) 72-72, Prayad Maerkseng (Thai)
72-72, Eric Meeks (US) 71-73, Jerry Smith (US) 71-73, Andrew Bonhomme
(Aus) 70-74, Jim Rutledge (Can) 70-74.
145 Andrew McLardy (SA) 78-67, Rob Huxtable (US) 75-70, Nick O'Hern
(Aus) 74-71, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 74-71, Robert Derksen (Hol) 74-71, Paul
McGinley (Ire) 74-71, John Bickerton (Eng) 73-72, Choi Gwang-soo (S Kor),
John Mellor (Eng) 72-73, Katsuyoshi Tomori (Jpn) 72-73, Thomas Levet (Fra)
72-73, Kyi Hla Han (Mya) 72-73, Daniel Chopra (Swe) 71-74, David Howell
(Eng) 70-75.
146 Simon Yates (Scot) 77-69, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 76-70, S. Murthy (Mas)
76-70, Ali Kadir (Mas) 75-71, Eric Rustand (US) 70-76; 147 Chalawit
Plaphol (Thai) 76-71, Robin Byrd (US) 75-72, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 74-73,
Jonathan Lomas (Eng) 73-74, Rolf Muntz (Hol) 73-74, M. Ramayah (Mas) 73-
74, Brad Andrews (Aus) 73-74, Stephen Bennett (Eng) 73-74.
Selected players who failed to make cut: 148 Lee Westwood (Eng) 76-72;
149 A. Dorairaj (a-Mas) 76-73, Rashid Ismail (Mas) 74-75; 150 Wong Hung
Nung (Mas) 76-74; 151 Danny Chia (Mas) 78-73, Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 76-
75; 152 Nico van Rensburg (SA) 76-76; 154 Jamaluddin Bador (Mas) 79-75, V.
Arumugam (Mas) 78-76, Mike Cunning (US) 76-78; 155 Rahizam Ramli (a-Mas)
77-78, Darren Clarke (N Ire) 76-79, P. Gunasegaran (Mas) 76-79; 156 R.
Nachimuthu (a-Mas) 76-80 THIRD ROUND DRAW
8.45: Brad Andrews (Aus), Rolf Muntz (Hol); 8.55: Jonathan Lomas (Eng),
M. Ramayah (Mas), Stephen Bennett (Eng); 9.05: Chawalit Plaphol (Thai),
Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Robin Byrd (US).
9.15: S. Murthy (Mas), Ali Kadir (Mas), Simon Yates (Scot); 9.25: Eric
Rustand (US), Angel Cabrera (Arg), Choi Gwang-soo (S Kor); 9.35: Robert
Jan-Derksen (Hol), Paul McGinley (Ire), Kyi Hla Han (Mya).
9.45: Andrew McLardy (SA), Jarmo Sandelin (Swe), Nick O'Hern (Aus);
9.55: Rob Huxtable (US), Thomas Levet (Fra), Daniel Chopra (Swe); 10.05:
Katsuyoshi Tomori (Jpn), John Bickerton (Eng), David Howell (Eng).
10.15: John Mellor (Eng), Robert Karlsson (Swe), Chris Williams (SA);
10.25: Prayad Marksaeng (Thai), Kim Jong-duck (S Korea), Jerry Smith (US);
10.35: Scott Rowe (HK), Jim Rutledge (Can), Per Haugsrud (Nor).
10.45: Erik Meeks (US), Charlie Wi (S Kor), Lin Keng Chi (Tai); 10.55:
Jose Coceres (Arg), Andrew Bonhomme (Aus), Alex Cejka (Ger); 11.05: Greg
Owen (Eng), Gilberto Morales (Ven), Jyoti Randhawa (Ind).
11.15: Padraig Harrington (Ire), Pierre Fulke (Swe), Christopher Hanell
(Swe); 11.25: Gary Evans (Eng), Frankie Minoza (Phi), Chang Tse-peng
(Tai); 11.35: Zhang Lian-wei (Ch), Bob May (US), Andrew Coltart (Scot).
11.45: Christian Pena (US), Craig Hainline (US), Christian Chernock
(US); 11.55: Anders Hansen (Den), Marcello Santi (Ita), Wang Ter-chang
(Tai); 12.05: Shaun Micheel (US), Choi Kyung-ju (S Kor), Dean Wilson (US).
12.15: Ed Fryatt (Eng), Tomas Munoz (Spn), Gerry Norquist (US).
(END)