Retief Goosen and Padraig Harrington, the two highest ranked players in the field, are set to re-new their rivalry over the weekend after moving into contention for the Carlsberg Malaysian Open at The Mines Resort and Golf Club, Kuala Lumpur.
Goosen, who pipped Harrington to the Volvo Order of Merit last season, shot a second round 64, seven under par, to take the clubhouse lead on 12 under par as heavy thunderstorms disrupted play on the second day.
Only half the field had completed their second rounds when lightening and torrential rain caused play to be suspended at 14.25 local time. Overnight leader Arjun Atwal, winner of last season’s Caltex Singapore Masters, presented by Carlsberg, tops the leaderboard on 13 under par having picked up four birdies in his first seven holes before being forced to return to the sanctuary of the clubhouse.
The ferocious downpour caused extensive flooding and erosion to the bunkers and, with a number still unplayable, play was abandoned for the day at 17.45 local time. The second round will resume at 08.00 with the third round starting at about 13.30.
Of those players who completed their rounds Goosen leads Korean Ted Oh by one with Harrington two shots behind on ten under par alongside Thailand’s Thamamoon Srirot.
Goosen’s 64 has the potential to be so much better as he raced to the turn in 29, picking up seven birdies on the way. But any thoughts of breaking the magical 60 barrier were quashed with a bogey on the first, Goosen’s tenth. The South African drove to within 20 yards of the green on the 338 yard hole but hit his approach from the rough into a plugged lie in the bunker and took five. A birdie opportunity was also missed on the par five second.
“Making two fives at the first and second was the end of a really low round,” said Goosen. “I got off to a great start on my front nine and 29 was probably the worst I could have scored. I made a bad five at the 17th and that stopped the momentum a bit and it turned out to be quite a disappointing round.
“But with two rounds to go I am where I want to be. In this game you can always be better.”
A shot behind Goosen is Oh, performing well for his sponsors Carlsberg this week. Oh, who found fame when he qualified for the 1993 US Open Championship as a 16 year old amateur, completed a four under par 67 to move to 11 under par 131.
Hot on his heels is Harrington, back in action for the first time after a nine week winter break. Harrington finished last season in a blaze of glory, winning the BMW Asian Open and the Target World Challenge. He continued in much the same way as he left off with a second successive 66 to lie on ten under par.
Harrington, trying a new set of irons this week, picked up six birdies with just one dropped shot but felt he struggled mentally in the second round.
“I am pleased with the score but didn’t play nearly as well as yesterday,” said Harrington. I didn’t swing it well but five under par on a day like that is very pleasing. I have got to up my game a little as I can’t expect to be in contention over the next 36 holes playing like that.”
Harrington has spent the last six weeks working on his swing, the one drawback being that he is now thinking far too much over each shot rather than simply letting the swing flow.
“I spent the last six weeks practising and that makes your mind very active,” said Harrington. “But then it is difficult to turn it off when you are on the course. But I am very pleased with two 66s. You are never really sure after a long break how things are going to go.”
Also on ten under par is Srirot, a winner of four events on the Asian PGA Tour, after adding a two under par 69 to his opeing 63.
