Fuente: © Asian Tour
http://www.asiantour.com/

ASIAN TOUR: INDIA DROP TO FIVE BACK IN WORLD CUP

/noticias.info/ Algarve, Portugal, November 19: Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa, both former Asian Tour No. 1s, failed to recapture the form they showed on the opening day but are still very much in the title frame after two rounds of the Algarve World Cup on Friday.

The Indian duo carded a one-over-par 73 in the foursomes format and dropped from their overnight tied second position to joint seventh, five shots behind co-leaders England, Wales and Sweden.

Chinese Taipei's Wang Ter-chang and Chang Tse-peng were amongst those who are tied alongside India after a 71 as they headed into the weekend rounds of the US$4 million World Golf Championships event.

The story of the day at the Victoria Clube de Golfe in Villamoura was a record-breaking performance by Argentina's Angel Cabrera and Ricardo Gonzalez, who shot a stunning 61 in the alternate shot format and moved into contention.

The Argentines are one stroke behind Sweden's Henrik Stenson and Niclas Fasth, Welshmen Stephen Dodd and Bradley Dredge and defending champions from England, Luke Donald and David Howell.

It was always clear that the Indians would be hard-pressed to repeat their birdie-fest of opening day which they carded a 61 with 10 birdies and one eagle. Atwal and Randhawa, both playing their first World Cup, opened with a birdie in the alternate-shot format but struggled soon after.

Singapore's Mardan Mamat and Lam Chih Bing in action at the World Cup Qualifier second round.Playing in the final group with England, they however dropped bogeys on the fifth, seventh and 10th and then made up slightly with a birdie on par five17th that put them at 11-under-par for two days.

"We have not played foursomes golf together and we were learning out there," said Randhawa. "Hopefully, this was good preparation for Sunday (which will revert to the foursomes format)."

Atwal failed to find any rhythm and struggled on the greens. "It was kind of difficult as I hit a driver on the first hole and my next driver was at the 10th. I'm a rhythm player and need to get in a flow but I think we'll learn from this experience," said Atwal.

Cabrera and Gonzalez were at the bottom of the leaderboard after Day 1 and they leapfrogged their way into fourth place after a mesmerising performance.

That brilliant run between them looked even more awesome as none of the other 23 teams managed to shoot lower that five-under.

Singapore's Mardan Mamat and Lam Chih Bing combined for a 70 for 18th place at the halfway stage while Korea's Choi Kyung-ju and Ik Je-jang were tied 19th after a 71. notas_de_prensa_archivo