SHANGHAI MASTERS: Rory McIlroy made a superb start to his bid for a record €1.5 million jackpot at the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters as he fired an eight-under-par 64 yesterday.
Northern Ireland’s US Open champion was playing in a group alongside Lee Westwood, with whom McIlroy had shared a manager – Andrew “Chubby” Chandler – until recently moving to join Ryder Cup partner Graeme McDowell at Dublin-based Horizon.
McIlroy’s impressive bogey-free round gave him a one-shot lead, with American Hunter Mahan his closest challenger.
Pádraig Harrington, Paul Casey and Ian Poulter shared third place, three off the lead, after rounds of 67, with American Anthony Kim and China’s Li Chao carding 68s.
Westwood finished on 69, which positioned him level with John Daly, Robert Karlsson, YE Yang and Retief Goosen, while Colin Montgomerie was one further adrift, along with South Africans Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen.
The tournament is a a 30-man invitational event, not aligned with the main tours, offering the highest first prize in professional golf.
ASIA PACIFIC CLASSIC: Australia's Robert Allenby produced a sublime eight-under-par round of 63 to lead the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic by one shot.
The 40-year-old Victorian was round the par-71 course without incurring a single bogey to narrowly lead Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas after yesterday’s opening round in Selangor, Malaysia.
Allenby was four under after just six holes in an excellent start to proceedings and then made further birdies on the 11th and 15th, 16th and 17th in a strong finish.
Vegas, an impressive Tour performer this year, had a mixed start as he went birdie-bogey-birdie on the third, fourth and fifth holes but picked up shots on the eighth and 11th before ending on a high with a run of four birdies on his last four holes.
Swede Fredrik Jacobson was alone in third, two shots off the lead on six-under, ahead of American trio Cameron Tringale, Jimmy Walker and Bo Van Pelt.
Australian John Senden was joined on four-under in a share of seventh by Americans Scott Stallings, Stewart Cink, Jeff Overton and Mark Wilson.
Defending champion Ben Crane managed a two-under 69 while England’s Brian Davis was level par for the the day.
AMATEUR:Northern Ireland's Stephanie Meadow moved up four places in this week's World Amateur Golf Ranking to number four – her highest ever position – following her first victory of the 2011-2012 US Collegiate season.
It’s a victory that could book her a place on the Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team to face the United States at Nairn Golf Club next June.
Meadow captured her fourth college title with victory in the SEC/PAC 12 Challenge at the Holsten Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The second year student at the University of Alabama posted rounds of 68, 71 and 72, finishing on five-under-par 211. She won the title by two shots from Lauren Stratton.
The Jordanstown native is now the highest ranked player from the Ireland on the WAGR table. She is two spots higher than Leona Maguire, who moved up three spots this week to world number six. Lisa Maguire is 34th, up two places from last week.
