Sports
British Golfer Tommy Fleetwood Takes Halfway Lead at Thailand Golf Championship 2014
Fleetwood made confident birdies at the par-five 11th and 15th holes, and he converted an excellent tee-shot at the short 17th to turn in 33.
CHON BURI – British Golfer 23 Year Old Tommy Fleetwood has claimed the halfway lead at the Thailand Golf Championship 2014 at Amata Spring in Pattaya, Thailand.
Fleetwood was one of only four players to break 70 on the second day as a solid three-under 69 earned him a one-shot lead over Lee Westwood and Marcus Fraser.
Fleetwood played a faultless back nine after teeing off at the 10th and he did well to protect his score over a daunting outward half that claimed several victims, with no fewer than 50 double-bogeys or worse contributing to the high scoring.
The 23-year-old made confident birdies at the par-five 11th and 15th holes, and he converted an excellent tee-shot at the short 17th to turn in 33.
He followed three pars with his only blemish of the day at the fourth, but he responded with another birdie at the long seventh and parred in to stay at four under par.
“My game felt good,” said Fleetwood, who has yet to add to his maiden European Tour victory at the Johnnie Walker Championship in 2013.
“I played really well and had only three or four bad shots, which is what you need in these windy conditions, and missing the fairways is like having a one-shot penalty.”
Fleetwood played a faultless back nine after teeing off at the 10th and he did well to protect his score over a daunting outward half that claimed several victims, with no fewer than 50 double-bogeys or worse contributing to the high scoring.
The 23-year-old made confident birdies at the par-five 11th and 15th holes, and he converted an excellent tee-shot at the short 17th to turn in 33 blows.
He followed three pars with his only blemish of the day at the fourth, but he responded with another birdie at the long seventh and parred in to stay at four under par.
“My game felt good,” said Fleetwood, who has yet to add to his maiden European Tour victory at the Johnnie Walker Championship in 2013.
“I played really well and had only three or four bad shots, which is what you need in these windy conditions, and missing the fairways is like having a one-shot penalty.”
Fleetwood’s 36-hole target of 140 proved enough to give him the outright lead heading into the weekend as Westwood bogeyed the ninth – his final hole – to slip into a share of second with Australian Fraser.
Westwood was one over after seven holes before getting under the card with birdies at 17 and 18, but he gave both shots back at the third and the fifth before staging a strong finish as he reeled off three consecutive birdies to reach four under overall.
But the Ryder Cup star’s error at the ninth closed out a one-under 71, while Fraser battled his way to a 72 which featured 15 pars, two birdies and one double-bogey at the third.
“I played very well again today. It’s tricky out there, the wind was stronger than in the first round and the rough is brutal. But all in all it was a good round and puts me in a good position for the weekend.”
Thailand’s Tirawat Kaewsiribandit is a stroke further back after offsetting four birdies with as many bogeys, while unheralded American Jonathan Moore shares fourth on two under par after an erratic 71.
Local hero Thongchai Jaidee was three under for the day, and the tournament, before he double-bogeyed the eighth to drop into a tie for sixth with Paul Peterson and US Open champion Martin Kaymer.
