Madsen on a roll as he takes Dunhill first round lead

 

November 28, 2013 11:51 AM

(Reuters) - - Dane Morten Orum Madsen continued his hot streak after Sunday's victory in the South African Open by taking the first-round lead at the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Malelane, east of Johannesburg, on Thursday.

His seven-under 65 put him one shot ahead of South African Allan Versfeld and Portuguese Ricardo Santos, who eagled the last for a share of second place.

The 25-year-old Madsen was a surprise winner of last week's opening 2014 European Tour event and his form held with eight birdies and one bogey on the picturesque Leopards Creek course on the border of South Africa's Kruger Park.

Last year's Alfred Dunhill Championship winner, South African Charl Schwartzel, who romped home by 12 strokes for the third-largest winning margin in European Tour history, is tied in third after a four-under-par 68.

He shares the position with Frenchman Victor Riu, Englishman Richard Finch and Scot David Drysdale.

Twice major winner John Daly hit a par-72 on his return to South Africa, where he had played the Sunshine Tour from 1987 to 1990 before his U.S. PGA Championship success in 1991.

It is the 47-year-old American's first tournament since elbow surgery earlier in the year.

(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Tony Goodson)

Madsen leads at Alfred Dunhill

November 28, 2013 12:11 PMAP - Sports

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Morten Orum Madsen, of Denmark, tees off on the eighth hole during the first round of the U.S. Open golf …

MALELANE, South Africa (AP) -- Morten Orum Madsen leads the Alfred Dunhill Championship after shooting a 7-under 65 in the opening round at Leopard Creek.

The Dane followed up his first European Tour title last weekend with eight birdies and just a single dropped shot on Thursday for a one-stroke advantage over South Africa's Allan Versfeld and Portugal's Ricardo Santos.

Defending champion Charl Schwartzel was in a four-way tie for fourth after a 68, while American John Daly shot a 72 for a tie for 48th in his second tournament back from right elbow surgery in July.

Madsen came from behind to win the South African Open last weekend but was out in front early at the second event on the 2014 Race to Dubai. A bogey at the par-3 seventh was his only blemish.

''I have a lot of confidence right now,'' he said. ''I really believe I am going to hit good shots on pretty much every shot.''

Versfeld carded an eagle and four birdies in a bogey-free round, while Santos finished with an eagle to add to four birdies.

Schwartzel had seven birdies, including five on his first six holes, but the 2011 Masters champion failed to fully capitalize on the fast start by making a bogey and a double-bogey around the turn. Starting at No. 10, he dropped his first shot on No. 17 and then double-bogeyed the par-4 first.

Schwartzel won here by 12 shots a year ago and has also finished second four times at the Leopard Creek course in northern South Africa.

Daly made his return to golf at the BMW Masters in China last month after surgery to repair a damaged tendon in his elbow. He struggled for consistency Thursday with two bogeys and a birdie going out and two birdies and a bogey coming home.

Golf-Headline act McIlroy delighted to finally fit the bill

 

November 28, 2013 10:21 PM

By Nick Mulvenney

SYDNEY, Nov 29 (Reuters) - World number six Rory McIlroy was delighted to finally justify his role as a headline act after tightening up his putting to fire a seven-under-par 65 at the Australian Open on Friday.

A disappointing year has sorely tested McIlroy's natural good humour but he had plenty to smile about after his round of nine birdies and a couple of bogeys saw him join late-starting Adam Scott atop the leaderboard on 10-under.

Despite local favourite Scott's brilliant run of form this year, McIlroy's status as a former world number one and twice major champion ensured his place as a major drawcard.

"Obviously when you come to a tournament where you're one of the headline acts or main attractions, you want to live up to that billing I guess," the Northern Irishman laughed.

"For the most part this year I haven't wherever I went. So it's nice. It's nice to reward the people that invite you down here and look after you so well."

Various theories have been proposed for McIlroy's drop in form this year after a stellar 2012, mostly notably a change in clubs and the distractions of his relationship with Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki.

A messy court case, now resolved, added to his off-course woes but the 24-year-old has maintained a consistent line that it is mostly about regaining the confidence that took him to the top of the world last year.

"I feel like I am very hard on myself when I don't play the way I want to," he said. "I have high expectations of myself and when I don't live up to them it's frustrating and I get easily frustrated with myself.

"It's funny, when you play well your mindset is all about making birdies, because you're most of the time hitting the fairways, hitting the greens and you've got a lot of birdie chances, and when you're not playing your best it seems like you're hanging on for pars and trying to avoid the next bogey.

"The mindsets are so different."

'BUILD MOMENTUM'

With just one tournament left to play after this weekend, McIlroy is cutting it fine to fulfil world number one Tiger Woods's prediction that he would win before the end of the year.

There is no doubt, though, that he feels his game is coming together again.

On Thursday, McIlroy said he felt he was driving as well as he ever had and in Friday's second round in the Sydney rain he tidied up the putting game that cost him four strokes in his opening 69.

"It's nice when it's like this, when you feel like you can fire pins, you can be aggressive and you can give yourself plenty of chances for birdies," he added.

"This game is so mental as well. To have that mindset of just wanting to get further and further under par is something that only comes with confidence and playing well for a few weeks leading up to this, which I have.

"I think that's why my mindset is how it is at the minute, because I've built that confidence in the last few weeks and I feel like my game's in good shape.

"After not making the tour championship in the States it was all about trying to build momentum for 2014 and that's what I feel like I've started to do." (Editing by Peter Rutherford)

Golf-Leader Scott weathers storm as McIlroy makes his move

 

November 29, 2013 2:33 AM

By Nick Mulvenney

SYDNEY, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Overnight leader Adam Scott battled through the Sydney wind and rain for a mixed bag of a round of two-under-par 70 to take a two-stroke lead over Rory McIlroy at the halfway stage of the Australian Open on Friday.

McIlroy, growing in confidence by the round, benefited from easier early conditions to post a nine-birdie 65 and join the world number two at the top of the leaderboard on 10-under before the Australian had even teed off.

The U.S Masters champion lit up the Royal Sydney Golf Club with a course record 10-under 62 in bright sunshine on Thursday and initially continued in the same vein by picking up shots at two of his first three holes.

The stiffening wind and driving rain took their toll, though, and five further birdies, three bogeys and one double bogey later, Scott was signing for his second round with the same two-shot cushion.

"It was a tough afternoon, plenty of good stuff in there but made a few mistakes in the tricky conditions," Scott told reporters.

"At times, it was extremely difficult and I think I held it together pretty well.

"It was going to be a day for hanging in. I made lots of birdies but bogeys were easy to come by if you were just slightly off and probably most scorecards would have looked similar this afternoon."

World number six McIlroy's growing confidence at the tail-end of a difficult season was clearly evident in his second round at the Royal Sydney, where he tightened up the putting that had left him seven shots behind Scott overnight.

"As seven-unders go, I think it was a pretty comfortable one. I don't think I did anything really spectacular out there," the Northern Irishman said.

GREEN ACE

"It feels good, I played well, putted much better today than I did yesterday too, so that was a big positive. I'm in a great position going into the weekend."

If McIlroy's snaking 14-footer for a birdie at the sixth was the putt of the day, Richard Green took the iron shot honours for his hole-in-one at the same par-three.

The 42-year-old Australian also hit six birdies with two bogeys in his early round of 66 to claim third place a shot behind McIlroy, but there was no doubting the highlight of his day.

"I think it was about 157 yards or something like that, which was I suppose just with the conditions, there's a little bit of wind off the left and it suited the draw in there and just got it, perfect," the European Tour regular said.

Matt Jones was a shot further back in fourth on eight-under after a second 68 and will play with his compatriot Green in Saturday's third round.

With all due respect to the pair, most eyes will probably be on the group teeing off behind them and tournament organisers will be hoping for a hotly contested duel between the best two players in the field.

Scott has won the Australian PGA and Masters in the last month and could hardly be in better form.

Despite McIlroy's poor season, though, he was certainly not writing off the former world number one and twice major champion.

"Obviously he's one of the best players in the world so I'm going to have to bring my best game and try and match it with him," Scott said. (Editing by John O'Brien)

Leader Scott weathers storm as McIlroy makes his move

 

By Nick MulvenneyNovember 29, 2013 2:50 AM

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Australia's Adam Scott hits a drive on the second hole during the second round of the Australian Open …

By Nick Mulvenney

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Overnight leader Adam Scott battled through the Sydney wind and rain for a mixed bag of a round of two-under-par 70 to take a two-stroke lead over Rory McIlroy at the halfway stage of the Australian Open on Friday.

McIlroy, growing in confidence by the round, benefited from easier early conditions to post a nine-birdie 65 and join the world number two at the top of the leader board on 10-under before the Australian had even teed off.

The U.S. Masters champion lit up the Royal Sydney Golf Club with a course record 10-under 62 in bright sunshine on Thursday and initially continued in the same vein by picking up shots at two of his first three holes.

The stiffening wind and driving rain took their toll, though, and five further birdies, three bogeys and one double bogey later, Scott was signing for his second round with the same two-shot cushion.

"It was a tough afternoon, plenty of good stuff in there but made a few mistakes in the tricky conditions," Scott told reporters.

"At times, it was extremely difficult and I think I held it together pretty well.

"It was going to be a day for hanging in. I made lots of birdies but bogeys were easy to come by if you were just slightly off and probably most scorecards would have looked similar this afternoon."

World number six McIlroy's growing confidence at the tail-end of a difficult season was clearly evident in his second round at the Royal Sydney, where he tightened up the putting that had left him seven shots behind Scott overnight.

"As seven-unders go, I think it was a pretty comfortable one. I don't think I did anything really spectacular out there," the Northern Irishman said.

GREEN ACE

"It feels good, I played well, putted much better today than I did yesterday too, so that was a big positive. I'm in a great position going into the weekend."

If McIlroy's snaking 14-footer for a birdie at the sixth was the putt of the day, Richard Green took the iron shot honors for his hole-in-one at the same par-three.

The 42-year-old Australian also hit six birdies with two bogeys in his early round of 66 to claim third place a shot behind McIlroy, but there was no doubting the highlight of his day.

"I think it was about 157 yards or something like that, which was I suppose just with the conditions, there's a little bit of wind off the left and it suited the draw in there and just got it, perfect," the European Tour regular said.

Matt Jones was a shot further back in fourth on eight-under after a second 68 and will play with his compatriot Green in Saturday's third round.

With all due respect to the pair, most eyes will probably be on the group teeing off behind them and tournament organizers will be hoping for a hotly contested duel between the best two players in the field.

Scott has won the Australian PGA and Masters in the last month and could hardly be in better form.

Despite McIlroy's poor season, though, he was certainly not writing off the former world number one and twice major champion.

"Obviously he's one of the best players in the world so I'm going to have to bring my best game and try and match it with him," Scott said.

(Editing by John O'Brien)