Skip to main content

CIMB Asia Pacific Classic: Flawless Allenby sets the pace

Defending champion Ben Crane plays a shot in the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic at the Mines Resort and Golf Club in Seri Kembangan yesterday. Crane fired a 69. — Picture by Yazit Razali
Defending champion Ben Crane plays a shot in the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic at the Mines Resort and Golf Club in Seri Kembangan yesterday. Crane fired a 69. — Picture by Yazit Razali
ROBERT Allenby grabbed the first round lead with a flawless display featuring eight birdies for a one-stroke lead over Jhonattan Vegas in the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic yesterday.
Australian Allenby fired an eight-under 63 as flight-mate Vegas shot a 64 in benign early morning conditions before rain interrupted play late in the afternoon at the Mines Resort and Golf Club in Seri Kembangan.

By the time the heavens opened, Allenby and Vegas were already in the club-house with only Fredrik Jacobson proving a threat among the late starters as the Swede came home in 65.

Allenby was off to a quick start, sinking four birdies in his opening six holes, before claiming four more birdies on the back-nine, including three in a row from the 15th, for a blemish-free round.
"I'm happy with the way I played and hit the ball well all day. Overall, I'm happy with my golf," said Allenby, 40, seeking his first title since the 2009 Australian PGA Championship.

"I've been playing well for a while but haven't put the scores on the board.

To have a bogey-free round and shoot eight-under here is a great score.

"My iron play was solid. I think more importantly, I made a lot of good putts. That's the part that has been letting me down of late and I've been working hard on it.

"I'm starting to make some putts and hope that is where it is for the rest of the tournament."

Allenby courted trouble on Tuesday when he was chased by a monkey at the 10th hole after getting too close in his attempt to take a picture but the only real danger he faced yesterday was a wayward tee shot on the par-four 18th.

"I got away with a nice par on 18. I had just one wayward tee shot but I made a good par save.

"The majority of my putts were between 10 and 20 feet. I hit a lot of greens too and I made most of the putts I looked at," said Allenby, who is looking to justify his selection as a wild card for next month's Presidents Cup clash between the Internationals and the United States in Melbourne.

Vegas also had eight birdies on his card but crucially, a bogey at the par-four fourth cost the Venezuelan a share of the lead.

But he finished strongly, birdieing his last four holes to put himself firmly in contention for the US$1.3 million (RM4 million) winner's purse.

"I had a really good round and I hit the ball really well. I kept hitting on the fairways and the greens, made some good putts and finished with four birdies in a row which was a nice way to end the round.

"Hopefully, we can keep that going for the next three days and hold the trophy on Sunday.

"It's a great golf course and I'm hoping the rain will stay away," said Vegas, who won the Bob Hope Classic earlier this year.

Jacobson sank an eagle on the par-four 15th on his way to a 65, two strokes behind Allenby, as the Swede sought to add to the Travellers Championship title he won in June.

A trio of Americans -- Cameron Tringale, Jimmy Walker and Bo Van Pelt -- are a further shot behind on 66 while defending champion Ben Crane is six off the lead after a 69 for tied-19th.

Read more: NST

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Rajagobal Let Off The Hook

PETALING JAYA, April 24 (Bernama) -- National head coach Datuk K. Rajagobal was let off the hook by the Football Association of Malaysia's (FAM) Disciplinary Committee after finding no evidence that he had violated FAM's Article 88, as claimed. FAM Disciplinary Committee chairman Datuk Taufik Abdul Razak said the committee had decided not to charge Rajagobal after carefully analysing the video of the post-match press conference by the 56-year-old coach. "After listening to the recording of the post-match press conference, we decided to drop the charge against Rajagopal as he did not make such a statement. "Maybe his (Rajagobal) assessment and comments of the match was misconstrued by the media. There was no mention of the FAM policy throughout his comments," said Taufik after emerging from a three-hour Disciplinary Committee meeting at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya, here, Wednesday. Rajagobal who does not mince his words when asked to com...

Atlet Tempuhi Empat Kejohanan Besar Sebelum Olimpik Rio 2016

KUALA LUMPUR, 31 Mei (Bernama) -- Empat temasya sukan penting yang dijadual berlangsung mulai Disember ini hingga 2015 menjadi medan persiapan atlet negara sebelum menghadapi cabaran Sukan Olimpik 2016 di Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, kata Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Khairy Jamaluddin Jumaati. Kejohanan berkenaan ialah Sukan SEA di Myanmar pada Disember, Sukan Asia 2014 di Incheon, Korea Selatan, Sukan Komanwel 2014 di Glasgow, Scotland dan Sukan SEA 2015 di Singapura. Bercakap kepada pemberita selepas melawat Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) di Bukit Jalil di sini, Khairy berkata kesemua temasya sukan itu dilihat amat penting dalam memastikan impian negara untuk membawa pulang pingat emas Olimpik pertama menjadi kenyataan. "Kita di Kementerian Belia dan Sukan (KBS) mahupun MSN akan memastikan semua atlet mendapat bantuan sewajarnya dalam melakukan persiapan ke arah membawa pulang pingat emas pertama negara di Rio de Janeiro, Brazil nanti," katanya. Dalam perkemb...

Uber Cub: Malaysian squad Can Spring A Surprise - Ahmad Shabery

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Bernama) -- Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek remains confident that the national Uber Cup squad can spring a surprise when Malaysia hosts the Thomas and Uber Cup finals at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil from May 9-16. He said despite not being the favourite, the women's team was able to surprise everyone by winning the gold medal at the Laos SEA Games. "I am confident they (Uber Cup team) will be able to produce a similar surprise. Not only are they capable of reaching the semi-final, they can go further," he told reporters after having lunch with national shuttlers here Thursday. National badminton Team manager Datuk Syed Abu Bakar Abdullah who echoed the minister's confidence said: "In Laos, nobody expected the women's team to win the world, so why not the Uber Cup? All they need to do is try their very best." Women's team captain Wong Pei Tty said she and her team-mates have set a target of r...