Golf: Thunderstorms cut short Barclays Singapore Open

Singapore — Angelo Que was the only Philippine campaigner to finish the opening round as play in the $6-million Barclays Singapore Open was stopped due to thunderstorms on Thursday.                  Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn held the clubhouse lead after a five-under 66 at the tough Serapong course with Thailand’s Chinnarat Phadungsil not far behind with a 67 in this Asian Tour event.                  A total of 78 players will head back to the Sentosa Golf Club Friday to resume their round in the chase for champion’s purse of $1-million and a chance to move up in the AT’s Order of Merit.                  Que bogeyed Nos. 13, 15 and 18 to kick off his initial nine but came back strong with birdies on the fourth, sixth and seventh that sandwiched a bogey on the fifth to wound up with an even 72.                  Juvic Pagunsan, last year’s runner-up, ended at one-over in nine holes.  Antonio Lascuna dropped two shots on the par-3 No. 14 then birdied the next hole to be at one-over after eight holes.                  Mars Pucay was at two-over in five while Jay Bayron, who luckily got in this cash-rich tournament, was at four-over in seven. The 41-year-old Bjorn, who won 13 times in Europe, is still searching for his first win in Asia.  His opening round performance has now kept up his hopes of meeting that target. “I came here and saw the golf course, and knew that everything was about driving the golf ball well. It's not the longest golf course so if you can keep it in the fairway, you can produce a score, and I did that very well today,” he said. Chinnarat believes he can do well at the Barclays Singapore Open which features the world’s best player, Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and eight Major champions.                  “I feel very good. I feel very confident today on my front-nine. I hit a lot of good tee shots on the front nine. I putted well too,” said the 24-year-old who became the youngest winner on the Asian Tour at the age of 17 years and five days.                  McIlroy, the World’s No. 1, leveled off in eight holes.  He made consecutive birdies on the fifth and sixth only to lose the gains with bogeys on the first and eighth. - AMD, GMA News